Fresh veggies

[amused1]

So, I'm part of a very small, private, farm collective. Basically, labor for food. This year we've had great results with everything except corn. Racoons and possums attacked the stalks.

 

Anyway, I've been feasting on fresh veggies and wondered what fresh veggies you love?

[+ Charlie]

I am not crazy about veggies. I do like avocados, cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, and tomatoes (although technically they are not a vegetable).

[+ Avalon]

I like a simple salad - shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced onions. Plus shredded cheese and Italian dressing. And cottage cheese on it. Salt substitute and pepper.

 

When I was a boy and lived out in the country we had a garden. My cousin and I went to town door-to-door selling vegetables.

 

I do not like carrots!!!

[cany10011]

Heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn are my favorite summer veggies.

[liubit]

I love mostly all veggies, and salad is my thing. The only two I really, really hate are cucumbers and eggplant. Yikes!

[MikeBiDude]

I’ve got a decent garden, lots of tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, artichokes, snap peas. I make a lot of tomato sauce and freeze it. Also salsa all summer when garden is producing.

[amused1]

I’ve got a decent garden, lots of tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, artichokes, snap peas. I make a lot of tomato sauce and freeze it. Also salsa all summer when garden is producing.

Nice! This season we've put up over 90 quarts of tomato product (whole, sauce & juice). Today I'll be packing and freezing sliced sweet peppers.

 

Never tried artichokes. While I like them I don't feel like they produce enough food for the space they need. Maybe I'm wrong?

[LaffingBear]

Very few I dont like.

 

Always liked some, but found veggies tastier when I moved to CA. I think its proximity to the Central Valley growing region.

 

Tend to shop at farmer's markets. Some of the bigger markets around SF Bay have a fantastic array of produce.

 

Some of my favorites: mushrooms. All types, shapes, sizes. The assortment of tomatoes is fantastic. And young brocollini or brocolli rabe. Cauliflowers in all colors.... this week, Im braising a whole cauliflower in tomato sauce a la Lydia Bastianich

 

Two recent additions to my regulars... swiss chard, and artichokes. Always loved artichokes, but found the steaming to be a hassle. Now, I nuke em for 1-2 min to soften, spread the leaves a bit, stick a garlic clove in the middle, drizzle olive oil, cap off with a slice of lemon, wrap in foil, and roast. Mmmmm.

 

One other note: for years I bought veggies and they often turned blue and fuzzy in the refrigerator bins. Now, Im determined not to waste food... so I force myself to empty the bins regularly, even eating things a little past prime. Waste less and overall, eat healthier. (The amount of food we waste in America is criminal.)

[MikeBiDude]

While I like them I don't feel like they produce enough food for the space they need. Maybe I'm wrong?

You’re not wrong, they take up a lot of real estate. If you have a couple niche spots for them though they are great. They flower absolutely beautifully of you leave the fruit on.

[+ SundayZip]

Listed in the order that I eat most frequently (sort of):

 

Broccoli

Zucchini

Spinach/other leafy greens

Carrots

Brussel sprouts

Peas

 

Edit: also lots of onions, celery and parsnips in homemade soups and stews

Edited September 11, 2018 by SundayZip

[+ Charlie]

I like a simple salad - shredded lettuce, cherry tomatoes, diced onions. Plus shredded cheese and Italian dressing. And cottage cheese on it. Salt substitute and pepper.

 

When I was a boy and lived out in the country we had a garden. My cousin and I went to town door-to-door selling vegetables.

 

I do not like carrots!!!

I also have never liked carrots, and I feel justified now, because I recently had a food allergy test, and the only vegetable to which I had a strong reaction was carrots.

[Rudynate]

I like nearly any vegetable, except for okra, maybe. I'm also lazy about fixing them. Mainstays are spinach, romaine, bibb lettuce, broccoli, asparagus, green beans, carrots, red onions, green onions, cucumbers. potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, red bell peppers. I like to make Japanese pickles - thinly-sliced cucumbers, radishes and green onions marinated with rice vinegar, sugar and a little salt for 15 or 20 minutes. It's one of my favorite condiments. Haven't made it very much in a long time, but I used to make ratatouille all the time. I had a great recipe that I had gotten out of a Sunset cookbook. It was my go-to dish for potlucks. I could always count on taking an empty dish home.

[bigvalboy]

I hate vegetables. The only way I can get them down is by juicing them, so I juice twice a day with spinach being part of every batch. I even juice my fruits.

[Epigonos]

I'm a big vegetable fan. The only one I do NOT like is okra which I absolutely hate. I also despise the word "veggie" it's so fucking cute I nearly want to vomit every time I hear somebody use it.

I'm not nearly as much a fresh fruit fan. I like berries, cherries and pineapple. I used to love peaches, apricots and pears but it is nearly impossible to find decent ones in urban supermarkets.

Edited September 12, 2018 by Epigonos

[amused1]

Perhaps this will help overcome the cute image. Imagine grubbing in a half acre of field rows in 90+ degree weather day after day. It isn't cute by any means. What a person looks like after 5-6 hours of doing so isn't cute. So, I'll continue to use the term veggies as it has no cute connotations for me.

[+ Avalon]

Perhaps this will help overcome the cute image. Imagine grubbing in a half acre of field rows in 90+ degree weather day after day. It isn't cute by any means. What a person looks like after 5-6 hours of doing so isn't cute. So, I'll continue to use the term veggies as it has no cute connotations for me.

 

Sounds like then it's easier work to be a carnivore than an herbivore.

[amused1]

@Avalon, much of the time spent hunting is hunched in a blind (think small shack or lean to) in predawn damp awaiting sunrise. Then waiting, hoping game will wander by. Haha

[+ Avalon]

@Avalon, much of the time spent hunting is hunched in a blind (think small shack or lean to) in predawn damp awaiting sunrise. Then waiting, hoping game will wander by. Haha

 

I remember reading that royalty would sometimes have beaters going out into the woods forcing the animals to move towards where the shooter was waiting.

[Epigonos]

Amused1 I sincerely apologize. I never meant to “disrespect” your commendable, hard work “growin” your “veggies”. “Livin” in a condo I envy, the fact, that you have a place where you can grow them “at”.

[+ SundayZip]

I used to love beaches, apricots and pears but it is nearly impossible to find decent ones in urban supermarkets.

 

I used to love beaches too, @Epigonos, although I've never found one in a supermarket. It's probably tough to keep the sand confined to the produce aisle.

[rvwnsd]

I like all types of vegetables, but my favorites are:

• Broccoli
  
• Broccolini
  
• Zucchini
  
• Carrots
  
• Green Beans
  
• Snap Peas
  
• Corn
  
• Beets
  
• Radishes
  
• Cucumbers
  
• Baby Romaine Lettuce
  
• Red and Green Leaf Lettuce
  
• Spaghetti Squash
  
• Tomatoes
  
• Bell Peppers
  

[amused1]

@Epigonos, no offense taken. We all have trigger words. And, honestly, at this time of year I do experience a bit of new parent pride when I see the harvest. So, while not exactly cute, the piles of onions, potatoes, jars of tomatoes and pickled veg, etc are as beautiful to me as a newborn.

[amused1]

@Avalon Very true. Sadly, while I may qualify as a dowager empress (I'm a bit past the queen stage) I've not yet risen to the level of having vassels to do my dirty work.

[+ bashful]

My parents gardened every summer. Helped to feed 4 kids. Green beans, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, beats, rhubarb, corn, and more. Also strawberries. We also had an apple, plum, pear, and peach tree. All in a city backyard. We had to play in the street.

 

Today, green beans, asparagus, celery, and raw carrots are my favorite. I try to cook the green beans as Julia Child demonstrated on one of her old shows. They're somewhere on YouTube.

 

Unfortunately, don't eat veggies as often as I should because some don't last long enough if you buy more than a meal's worth, and I don't shop every day. I do occasionally chop up the remainder of a sweet onion and freeze it to use in sauce or a beef roast.

[amused1]

Spoilage can be a big issue when cooking for one. If you don't have salt restrictions you might consider quick pickling some of your excess produce.

This simple technique can extend the life of many variables by 2 or more weeks. No special equipment needed. Just save some jars. Some of my favorites include summer squash, green beans, cauliflower, red onions and peppers.

Check it out on line if you like. Cheers