What are your 3 favorite veggies and favorite ways to do them?

[Addie]

Do you get English cucumbers where you live? The are long and unwaxed and the seeds are tiny. Really, nice cucumbers. The skins are not as tough as the other kind of cukes, even when they aren't waxed.

Yes we do have the English cukes. And I will buy them on occasion. They aren't as watery as our regular ones. Sometimes I will buy the small pickling ones. They have a lot of flavor. But I still have to peel them. Yet I will eat the skin on pickles. Go figure.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I forgot that I'd almost die for fried battered zucchini. I guess the world takes all kinds...

 

[Addie]

I forgot that I'd almost die for fried battered zucchini. I guess the world takes all kinds...

It's the only way I can eat it, but with out the skin. The same thing for eggplant. And that is my favorite veggie. I love an eggplant sub. I will even eat the bread that they put it in. Well, almost all of it. I do start picking the bread off about the middle of the sandwich. And towards the end, i just get rid of the bread and eat the eggplant. I have given up making eggplant parm. I, like my daughter, eat it as fast as I fry the pieces. As a result, no one gets any eggplant. There is none left. Knowing this, I usually buy a small one. Less fat.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I would eat zucchini skins alone. I love eggplant too, skins on please. Also potatoes. Or just potato skins. I'm sorry to be a contrarian. The skins have the best part of the vegetables, most of the vitamins and IMO most of the taste too. And sadly some of the time most of the pesticides.

 

[Somebunny]

How do I pick just "3" ? I love all vegetables, I don't think I can name one I don't care for. Top of the list, Asparagus anyway you serve it. Love beets, fresh from my garden, and green beans too, just tender crisp, with a little butter and salt and pepper.

I am fond of saying "if I didn't like meat so much......I could be a vegetarian!"

 

[Addie]

How do I pick just "3" ? I love all vegetables, I don't think I can name one I don't care for. Top of the list, Asparagus anyway you serve it. Love beets, fresh from my garden, and green beans too, just tender crisp, with a little butter and salt and pepper.

I am fond of saying "if I didn't like meat so much......I could be a vegetarian!"

Thanks for the reminder. I need to put beets on my grocery list. I cook them remove the skin and keep in the fridge. then when I am hungry or want a snack I grab one with the salt shaker and paper towel and have me a feast. One of my favorite veggies. And if I should buy them in a can, I put the can in the fridge. I never heat up beets. Love them cold.

 

[Merlot]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to put beets on my grocery list. I cook them remove the skin and keep in the fridge. then when I am hungry or want a snack I grab one with the salt shaker and paper towel and have me a feast. One of my favorite veggies. And if I should buy them in a can, I put the can in the fridge. I never heat up beets. Love them cold.

I love cold beets too with S & P.

 

[taxlady]

Thanks for the reminder. I need to put beets on my grocery list. I cook them remove the skin and keep in the fridge. then when I am hungry or want a snack I grab one with the salt shaker and paper towel and have me a feast. One of my favorite veggies. And if I should buy them in a can, I put the can in the fridge. I never heat up beets. Love them cold.

I am very fond of beets. The only time I have eaten them cold, is when they are pickled. I will have to try them your way.

I hate the way the beets I get are battered up. My Danish recipes all say to leave 2 cms (~1 inch) of stem and to leave the tail on. That way you don't lose a bunch of good colour and antioxidants and stuff into the boiling water. After the beets are boiled, they say to plunge them into cold water and "slip" the skins off. Even the beets with tops on, here, have holes where a bunch of the goodness can leak out.

 

[4meandthem]

I am very fond of beets. The only time I have eaten them cold, is when they are pickled. I will have to try them your way.

I hate the way the beets I get are battered up. My Danish recipes all say to leave 2 cms (~1 inch) of stem and to leave the tail on. That way you don't lose a bunch of good colour and antioxidants and stuff into the boiling water. After the beets are boiled, they say to plunge them into cold water and "slip" the skins off. Even the beets with tops on, here, have holes where a bunch of the goodness can leak out.

Try roasting them if you haven't had them way before. I think they get a little more concentrated in flavor.

 

[taxlady]

Try roasting them if you haven't had them way before. I think they get a little more concentrated in flavor.

They still leek good juices if they have holes.

 

[4meandthem]

Use beet spackle on the holes.

 

[Dawgluver]

Or meat glue.

 

[Kayelle]

My newest favorite veg is this...

Broccoli Raab [rob] or Rapini [rah-PEE-nee] – Commonly known in the United States as broccoli raab (also spelled broccoli rabe). It is truly a vegetable with many names around the world. A few of the many names are raab, rapa, rapine, rappi, rappone, fall and spring raab, turnip broccoli, taitcat, Italian or Chinese broccoli, broccoli rape, broccoli de rabe, Italian turnip, and turnip broccoli.


I just started buying it and now I can't get enough of it!! I adore broccoli but it tastes nothing like that. Actually the flavor reminds me of mild turnip greens. The downfall is it's becoming difficult to find here, and it's very expensive. I like it steamed with butter.

I also love fresh asparagus! My favorite way to cook it is roasted in the oven on a cookie sheet. I snap off the ends, put them in a plastic bag and add some olive oil to the bag along with salt, pepper, garlic powder and squish them around in the bag till all are well coated. Then I roast them on the cookie sheet at 425 degrees for about 10 min or until they are done to your liking. All the flavor stays in the asparagus, and they are delicious! Once you prepare them this way you'll be sold on the method.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Does that have anything to do with Chinese broccoli, AKA gailan or kai-lan or whatever it's called? Has very small florets compared to ordinary broccoli and is sold with the leafy greens? If so then I really like it too! I use it in my Thai cooking although sometimes I just serve it with any Western dish, steamed, with butter and salted.

And I'm an asparagus lover too. Can't get enough. I steam it or have occasionally marinated in EVOO and spices and cooked over barbecue with other barbecue items.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I was able to get two pounds of Asparagus for $3. I will steam it and lust put some salt-free lemon pepper on it.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks for the reminder. I have to do something with the asparagus in the crisper that I totally forgot was there.

 

[Kayelle]

Yes, I think that's likely the same thing Greg, as I stated, it's called so many names.

Dawg, with that asparagus you have, please try it roasted the way I described, I promise you'll never steam all the flavor from it again.

 

[Dawgluver]

Oh, yeah, will do, Kayelle! Thanks!

 

[PrincessFiona60]

<sheesh> Forgetting the asparagus...mine is like a siren song, I bet I can't wait until Saturday.

 

[Claire]

That brought to mind a cute mental picture. I was all ready to get mad and spritz the little bugger. It was a squirrel, holding one of my green cherry tomatoes in her little hands, and gnawing on it. Then I decided that if that squirrel could get that much enjoyment out of a green tomato, I could let him eat it in peace.

Cute! In Hawaii and in Florida I had one heck of a problem keeping birds from my tomatoes (and in Hawaii, papayas). As soon as they'd turn from green to ripe, I mean, first streak of any color but green, and the birds got them. The papaya were easy, ripening inside they pretty much tasted like they'd ripen on the trees. But I finally hit upon buying some green nylon net at a fabric store and throwing it over the tomato plants as camoflauge. Sun in, birds out. Have a plethoria of squirrels, but so far they've stayed away from the tomatoes.