THE VERSALITILITY OF VEGETABLES
I always liked vegetables when I was a child growing up in Roanoke, Virginia. An exciting time for me was when my Grannie came home from the fresh market on Saturday afternoon with paper bags full of
fresh purple beets, flat string beans, scallions, green cucumbers, and yellow corn on the cob. These vegetables would be used to prepare our Sunday dinner. My sister Gail and I would sit on the back porch with my Grannie and Granddaddy and help with “stringing” and “snapping “the beans. My Grannie also showed us how to cut the fresh corn off the cob. After cutting off the kernels ; we had to remember to use the back of the knife to get the “milk “ out of the ears. This fresh corn was used to make delicious stewed corn with butter, salt and pepper and milk. I remember coming back to the kitchen after Sunday dinner to get another spoonful of this mouthwatering dish.
Vegetables are quite versatile. You can use these colorful creations to make so many very appetizing dishes. For instance, you can start with two different vegetables- for instance -tomatoes and fennel. Use the raw versions in a fresh salad. The fennel tastes like licorice and will wake up the palate You can combine them to make a dish like the one found in my cookbook – Stewed Fennel and Tomatoes on page 113.
Puree the mixture and have it as another side dish or over a favorite whole grain or pasta with grated vegan cheese. Placing the puree in a baking dish, sprinkling seasoned bread crumbs on the top and browning it the oven can be anther variation. You can also sprinkle grated vegan cheese on top of the puree and brown this in the oven.
The puree can also be used to thicken soups or stews. Add vegetable broth to the puree to create a delicious soup like I served to some friend a few weeks ago.
Fennel and tomato is just one combination. Using our imagination, we can create so many more.
Remember to go to Amazon or to Apple Books to purchase my cookbook- Vegan Cooking for the Soul.
Roslyn