How do you eat that?

[canesisters]

Monty started a post about growing eggplants without ever having eaten them. Until last summer I hadn't ever eaten them either. In fact until last summer, I hadn't eaten a LOT of things.
I was one of those people who only breezed through the produce section to grab some carrots for the horse and to get to the deli. I was raised in a home where canned corn and instant potatoes were the regular veggies. Where hamburger helper was a complete meal and was made 'really good for us' by adding a can of peas. Don't get me wrong - I'm NOT knocking my folks!! They did the best they could and I'm still around, sane, and a reasonably productive citizen.
Last summer I stopped in the middle of the produce section and realized that I didn't know what half of the things in it were. How did this happen? How does someone get to be 40-ish and not know if all those pretty squash/gourd things were eatable. So I started on an experiment. Every now and then I would pick up something that I didn't even know the name of and bring it home. Then I did some research and found at least 3 ways to eat it. Well.. that's not entirely true. Some of the things I brought home were dismal failures and got tossed right away. But some of them have become weekly standards.
Anyway, I guess the point is that I've discovered that I love squash - spaghetti squash in particular. And that cabbage cut really thin and just barely wilted substitutes fairly well for pasta. And that apple juice is just as good as chicken broth in some instances. And that there are all sorts of things on the shelves near the rice that are really good too.
This year I'm hoping to have my own little produce section to play with. I'm so excited!
Have you tried something new lately? Do you have a 'best ever' way to prepare something that might be an old standby to you, but is probably new to me? Have you tried to grow or cook something and said 'NEVER AGAIN!'?

 

[thistlebloom]

One thing I had never grown before was flour corn. Steve got me interested in Painted Mountain corn, so I grew it and LOVED it. It was so beautiful standing in the garden with the burgundy stalks that some of them had. The dried corn is awesome in my grandmas cornbread recipe, ( thanks again Seedcorn for sharing an easy way to grind it in the blender ) and the kernels look pretty classy in the antique Ball canning jars I use as storage crocks.

And welcome to the colorful world of real food Cane!

 

[curly_kate]

I've discovered a lot of things that I bated as a kid, I love now. Asparagus and Brussels sprouts are good examples. Part of the difference is that my mom liked to cook veggies to mush. Ive realized they are much better when sauteed or grilled. I also recently discovered fried Brussels sprouts. A local restaurant makes them. They're not breaded, but lightly fried, then frizzled with balsamic & candied walnuts.

 

[Jared77]

I've discovered a lot of things that I bated as a kid, I love now. Asparagus and Brussels sprouts are good examples.

My wife does something similar with brussel sprouts she makes them drizzled with balsamic vineger but tosses them under the broiler. LOVE them that way. Light charring on the edges, and they taste so good. I'll have to ask her what else goes into them.

I just recently as in a few months ago started eating asparagus. Never cared for it before then.

 

[baymule]

Canesisters, you are to be commended for trying things you have never eaten before. Give yourself a big pat on the back. I will eat anything that does not bite me first, except banannas, catsup and mayonnaise. I will use mayonnaise in recipes, but absolutely not on a sandwich. BLECH!

Fresh asparagus-lightly sauted with onion and mushrooms. Try them-yummy!

I am growing brussel sprouts this year. They are tiny right now, but growing. I remember brussel sprouts as nasty, mushy, stinky, yukky, gross green things my momma tried to make me eat. I can't wait to try FRESH ones!

 

[digitS']

Well, it is nice to see my name here!

My family would go to the Chinese restaurant on the rare occasions when we ate out. I had friends at school who owned and whose families worked at those restaurants !

I can still remember the first time I ate snow peas, pea pods! It wasn't back in those schoolboy days, altho' I was in college before I had those snow peas and tomatoes with thinly-sliced beef . You know, the snap pea was probably the most important garden introduction in my lifetime. Not only do I really love the things, but being able to eat the entire pod and the full-size seed means a good deal more production is coming out of that bed of peas.

I eat a lot more veggies in and out of season because I've been a gardener - I'm sure! You start to have an investment in the crops and want to make use of them. It takes a little to learn when best to use them. I grew up on a farm but we didn't always have much of a garden. Just like people in town, I mostly associated food with stores and packages. I mean, even our beef came home from the Farmers Pack wrapped! Beginning to grow large gardens in my mid-twenties, it was like, "where did all this food come from?!!"

Steve

 

[Nyboy]

True story 2 years ago I redid my kitchen after a flood. I bought a very high tech stove, because I liked how it looked. Well stove is so high tech 2 years later I still don't know how to turn on the oven. My cleaning lady once left a note I have the cleanest oven she ever seen!!

 

[Mickey328]

I can certainly relate...we didn't have the hamburger helper so much but veggies in our house were peas, carrots, corn and green beans. The carrots were fresh (from the store) and the others were all canned. Later on after they retired and could do their own gardening, they added broccoli and cauliflower.

It wasn't till I was a young adult that I really got into trying other things and I'm still not as "adventurous" as I should be. DH on the other hand...he likes almost everything...veggies in particular. I've discovered, though that there are a lot of things I like raw and can't stand cooked...cauliflower for example. Cabbage is another...in fact the smell of any of the cabbage family being cooked instantly turns my stomach. Of course, Dave's fave veggie is Brussels Sprouts, LOL. I have bought and fixed them for him from time to time, but that smell...ugh!

My most recent effort at something "new to me" was parsnips and turnips. I had picked some up at the store to add to my frozen veggie stash for making stock when I remembered a friend telling me that he used to get his kids to eat them by mashing them roughly with carrots and calling them "special carrots". So, I tried it...and it was a HUGE hit in the house! I'd had turnips before...many, many years ago, and wasn't particularly impressed. I'd never had parsnips before so it was totally new. I cleaned, peeled and cut everything up into similar sized pieces and steamed them till they were tender, then threw the potato masher to it all and added a bit of salt, pepper and butter. It looked sort of like "hash"; was quite attractive and was really GOOD! Parsnips and turnips are being added to the garden this year...greens for the rabbits and chickens,roots for us

 

[NwMtGardener]

Heh, this is a really interesting thread to me because all the things you guys have mentioned I have recently "gotten into." last fall someone on here talked about roasted rutabagas and parsnips, so i picked some up and...delicious! Both just roasted, or roasted and pureed into a creamy soup. Also roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic glaze and bacon...love it so much it has become a staple veg.

As a kid I thought i hated onions. Guess what...love them now. I buy all sorts, and grow leeks, onions, chives and garlic.

 

[secuono]

Most of the veggies and fruits I grow I will never eat, they are for the animals. I do make pickles, they are the best!