Salsify

I have been searching high and low for a few years now for this root vegetable...and finally here it is! I will explain. A while ago, my husband and I had the opportunity to go to dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, NY. Any "foodie" from the New York Area is familiar with Blue Hill. Stone Barns is an agricultural center 30 miles north of New York City and is a full working four season farm. The Blue Hill Restaurant at Stone Barns uses all fresh ingredients from its farm and surrounding farms in the Hudson Valley region. There are no menus, just a listing of almost 100 ingredients that are available. A menu is then created around the items that you select. The chefs, making magic in the kitchen (which you can view from a picture window outside) use your selections as a guide and then come up with a tasting menu that they believe you would enjoy by the items chosen. This is really more of an experience than a typical dinner out. We enjoyed many different items that night and being that it was a few years ago now, my memory is fading on each dish that was presented to us. However, one that I will never forget was the Salsify, a root vegetable that was cut into match stick sized pieces and served on a tiny bed of nails. I don't remember any seasoning or sauce, it was just cooked and in its natural state. It was so unusual to me at the time (not so much now), I went on the quest to find it in every produce store I could get to. No luck until now. I found it on the shelves at my local Whole Foods. It was just sitting there, almost teasing me, as if it had been there all this time. I don't remember but I think I even gasped when I saw the sign for it. I quickly grabbed a handful and snapped a picture right there in the middle of the produce section to send along to a friend who knew of my "hunt". I searched the Internet for recipes that included salsify but then decided to recreate those little matchstick size pieces instead. Peeling the veggie first, cutting it into the smaller pieces, then tossing into a bowl with some lemon juice and water to prevent it from browning, I then boiled the salsify in water until fork tender. When the little white "sticks" came out of the boiling water, I then drained them and popped them in a 350 degree oven for another 15 minutes. They never even made it to our dinner plates, we just kept munching on them while I made the rest of our dinner. I have read descriptions of salsify as having an oyster like flavor, although I did not get that. Rather, it reminded me of a cross between an artichoke heart and a very dense potato. Glad that I opted to keep it as close to natural as possible, I will definitely try one of the handful of yummy recipes I found next time. Hopefully, it doesn't take another 2 years to get my hands on some more!

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

630 Bedford Hills Road

Pocantico Hills, New York 10591

(914) 366-9600

http://bluehillfarm.com/

Red Cabbage

I knew very well, other than the color of the Red Cabbage, I wouldn't find much difference in the way of taste. Possibly, the texture my be slightly different however. I did notice that the Red Cabbage seemed to have more of a "crunch" and from the information that I found, the red version keeps better. With the temperatures still sky rocketing, the last thing I felt like doing was boiling cabbage on the stove or even turning the stove on for that matter. So, I decided to make a colorful coleslaw with the shredded red leaves. And colorful it was, with some leftover Orange Cauliflower and green onions added to it, it was as pretty as it was tasty. Seasoned with mayonnaise, soy sauce, apricot vinegar and little sesame oil, it had an oriental flavor and was delicious. A sprinkling of sesame seeds on top of each serving finished off the side dish. This was a far cry from the type of coleslaw that I grew up with. My 90 year old Grandfather, was and still is the "slaw maker" in our family. His recipe doesn't get any simpler; Shredded traditional cabbage, which is considered "White Cabbage" by the way, Miracle Whip salad dressing, apple cider vinegar and sugar. It sounds crazy, I know, but it is actually tasty and has become a comfort food over the years. I'm starting to think that Miracle Whip and sugar may be some kind of fountain of youth. At 90 years old, Gramps still drives, lives on his own and up until a couple of years ago, worked at Costco. As good as my red cabbage coleslaw was, I think his might just be better...for 90 reasons!

Baby Spinach

Baby Spinach just cries out to be used for a good tossed salad. It's mild leaves seem to hold up well under many a vinaigrette and meshes well with just about any cheese you can think to throw into the salad. I have been so fortunate to have many friends send veggies my way from their gardens this summer. Funny thing is, no one has given me any fruit, up until now. My boss received some incredible peaches in the mail the other day from friends. Knowing that she would never be able to finish all herself and considering the usually busy house is more like a ghost town these days, she sent me home with a handful of very ripe ones. Almost instantly, I had visions of tossing a few into a spinach salad with some feta cheese. As tasty as my idea sounded, I thought I would jazz it up a little more. I sliced the peaches, drizzled some balsamic vinegar over them and popped them in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. They had such a nice golden hue to them and the tang of the vinegar complemented the sweetness of the peaches nicely. Now they were ready for my salad. I whipped up a quick vinaigrette with some fresh rosemary and tossed all the ingredients into the bowl. Topped my salad with some feta cheese and dove right in. Granted, the spinach was suppose to be the "star" of this dish but admittedly, the peaches stole the spotlight! It did prove my point that baby spinach is so versatile and you can make a wide variety of different salads when it's base are the tasty little leaves.

Sunflower Greens

I never understood what a "Super Food" was. I guess now I know. Any green that contains almost as much protein as a chicken breast has got to be pretty "super" in my book. 3.5 ounces of these little guys contain 22.78 grams of protein! The same amount of chicken breast has 26.25 grams, that is pretty damn close. It's hard to believe that these little green stalks can be compared to chicken. Just by tossing a handful onto any sandwich adds so much nutritional value, you may never buy iceberg lettuce again. That's just what I did. By adding a good amount to my turkey sandwich, I boosted up the protein in my dinner, not to mention the flavor. The greens add a nice earthy taste. They are heartier than bean sprouts and add more texture than it's stringy cousin the Alfalfa sprout. However, they are not the easiest to find. I was lucky to find this bag of "super food" at the local Balducci's but have never seen them anywhere else. Happy hunting!

Lima Beans

As you can tell from my photo, this was a "dining out" night. After attending a friend's wedding ceremony and cocktail reception, my husband, myself and a group of friends decided that we weren't going to waste our dressy outfits and new shoes to just head home. Last minute dinner plans formulated quickly as we all sipped our champagne while we toasted to the bride and groom. We had a good size group together quickly and cellphones started dialing some of our favorite restaurants to see who would be able to take our group of wedding-goers. As luck would have it, one of my favorites agreed that they could take a party of our size but we had to get there soon. We headed out and towards Columbus Park Trattoria in Stamford, CT. After standing outside in sweltering temperatures, in new shoes that felt like were now melted to my feet, I was not in a "decision" making mood. When our waiter went down the row of friends taking their orders one by one, I still had no idea what I would be ordering. Granted, everything I've had there in the past has been delicious but I just could decided. Lastly, he came to me and asked what I would like. I shocked even myself when I said "surprise me". The poor man looked at me blankly and asked if I was really sure. I assured him it would be fine and to make sure whatever he brought out to me had some vegetables and hopefully an unusual one at that. This could have gone really bad. However, knowing how delicious everything there is prepared, I wasn't too worried. And any fear I might have had was quelled when the waiter brought over this yummy dish of wide ribbon pasta. I assume the light sauce that coated the pasta and veggies was made with butter and white wine. Ground sausage added a nice flavor to the dish and I was thrilled with the Lima Beans that scattered throughout, mainly because I hadn't "done" Lima beans yet! The beans added a nice texture to the mix of the pasta ribbons and the ground sausage. Even though there was a lot going on in this dish and plenty of other veggies, I think the Lima beans definitely brought something to the party. I would happily let my waiter choose my dish for me again, especially in a place where I've never had a meal I didn't enjoy!

Columbus Park Trattoria

205 Main Street

Stamford, CT 06902

(203) 967-9191

http://www.columbusparktrattoria.com/index2.htm

Orange Cauliflower

I knew right off the bat that the Orange Cauliflower wasn't going to taste much different than your plain Jane white version but 365 vegetables is a boat load of veggies and I can't afford to miss a single one! My suspicions were confirmed with the first bite. Yes, exactly the same texture and taste. However, upon doing some web surfing, I did find out some interesting facts about Orange Cauliflower. First off, it contains 25 times more vitamin A than it's stark cousin. That alone, would be enough make me grab the orange head over the white when at the grocery story. Secondly, let's be honest, it's just so much prettier and fun looking than it's counterpart. Granted, I only enjoyed the cauliflower as part of a crudites platter that had a yummy dip along side it but I can envision it standing out on the dinner plate with it's unusual hue, even going as far as possibly using a citrus glaze to accent it's color. In a nutshell, more vitamins, same taste, fun color.

Yucca Root

Having seen Yucca root nearly every time I walk through any produce section, this is the first time I have even gone near it. The other day while trying to decide which vegetable will be on the proverbial chopping block that evening, I caught a glimpse of that odd vegetable out of the corner of my eye. "Oh what the hell!" I thought to myself, figuring I'd eventually have to get to it, so why not now. I always laugh a little bit to myself when buying a vegetable I know nothing about. What do I look for? How do I know if it's ripe or not? Should it smell like that? Because I usually "wing it" in the produce store and grab what peaks my interest right then and there, I don't research my next "victim" that often. So I picked out a few yucca roots that I thought looked good and went home to figure out what to do with this weird looking vegetable. Within a few minutes of surfing the net, I found that yucca makes great french fries. So I followed a simple recipe and boiled the peeled root for 15 minutes, then cut into french fry like strips. Then I added to strips to a frying pan with olive oil and let them crisp up. Tossing them with some sea salt and coarse ground pepper immediately upon exiting the frying pan insured the seasoning would stick to the fries. The fries were awesome! No ketchup need for these guys. However, I did make a mustard garlic aioli to dip them into but the flavor of the yucca was so tasty on it's own we barely touched the aioli. Before the fries hit the fry pan, I tasted the boiled yucca root to get an idea of what I was in for. Even before the frying, the flavor was delicious and instantly fell in love with the earthy taste this veggie had. I can think of numerous dishes that I would use yucca instead of potatoes and think it would make a great edition to a few stew recipes I have. Now when I peruse the produce aisle, I will no longer avoid and say "yuck" to the yucca!

Zucchini

Living in a condo, there is not much of a garden we can have, so when people offer us goodies from their gardens, we happily accept. That's how I came to get this beautiful zucchini. Not being able to have a garden or even a yard, for that matter, is one of the only things I regret about living in a condo. I grew up in apartments and condos my entire life, so I am fairly accustom to it. But as a child, I remember having a garden at my Grandmother's house in Connecticut. I remember the rows of squash and string beans; vines of tomatoes and cucumbers. Maybe because it was many years ago and I was young, I don't remember anything else but those vegetables. If it were my garden now...it would be vastly different. But I digress and must rely on good produce stores and generous "gardener" friends, like my zucchini "connection". Along with my gifted zucchinis, squash and cucumbers came an array of recipes that my friend thought I might like to try out. One in particular was a recipe for Greek Zucchini Cakes. I tweaked the recipe just a smidge by omitting pine nuts and using seasoned breadcrumbs in its place. They were delicious! The feta cheese with the tang of the dill really gave it that Greek flavor that they were named for. What was supposed to serve 4-6 people quickly turned into serving 2! This recipe is definitely going in my "keeper" file and the zucchini cakes will be making a repeat performance very soon!

Greek Zucchini Cakes Recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/greek-zucchini-cakes-recipe/index.html

Sea Beans

I'm wandering through the produce section of Whole Foods the other day and out of the corner of my eye I see a basket of these odd looking things just sitting there. Bright green and looking like some kind of cross between a cactus and a piece of seaweed. There it was, right between the ginger root and rosemary skewers, looking so out of place. There wasn't even a tag or description associated with the contents of the basket. I had no idea what they were but I knew I wanted them. I had to hunt down a employee of the produce department just to tell me what the unusual looking item was. When asked, he looked as confused as I was but then proceeded to tell me that they are really good sauteed with some butter. "But what are they?" I continued to ask him. He finally fessed up and told me that he had no clue! Figuring someone in this store had to know what they were, he set out to get the answer. He was back 10 minutes later with a print out on a receipt indicating that they were, Sea Beans. "What the hell are these things" I thought to myself as I scooped up a handful and planning on figuring that out later. The minute I got into my car, it was time to go to the Google! I found out that these quirky little veggies are neither seaweed or a cactus but a succulent that grows near the beach and in marshy areas. This is where their intense salty flavor comes from. Right from the start, I figured these edible beach flora would probably be better cold then cooked. Thinking that boiling them might make the sea beans too soggy and lose some of their crunch, I decided to steam them for a few minutes. There is something about the saltiness that lends itself to an Asian flavor so I added some sesame oil, a touch of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame seeds. Letting it chill in the fridge for a little while, it made a tasty salad. Apparently, these funky vegetables are seasonal and are only around in the summer months, so track them down now if you're interested. I'm thinking next time they might be a good edition to the lobster pot along with some steamers!

Kirby Cucumbers

Growing up, I can remember that one of my favorite salads was, cucumbers with french dressing and that's it! The thought of that now makes my stomach turn. I am so glad that my palate has matured and I no longer eat mayonnaise sandwiches or egg noodles with ketchup. I do still love both ketchup and mayo and often label myself as being "condimental". Also as a kid, and still to this day, I love pickles. Needless to say, vinegar is high on my list as well. I am always making salads with different kinds of vinaigrettes to go with them. I rarely buy bottled salad dressing anymore but go through gallons of olive oil and vinegar in a years time. So after a day of fried clam strips and french fries, a little vinegar to cut through all that grease was just what I needed. When I make a salad and know that I will be the only one eating it, I always add extra vinegar and plenty of garlic. I tend to tone down the more robust flavors of the dressing when I know my husband is going to be having some. My salad was extra tangy tonight and adding some dill to the mix made it taste more like a pickle than a cucumber salad. Long gone are the days of mayo sandwiches and noodles with Heinz but I will never give up a kosher dill or a salad that tastes like one!

Snap Peas and Pea Tendrils

Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, Michael Buble and Mohegan Sun...oh and Peas too! This made for an incredible night. I will be honest, as good as these beautiful Snap Peas and Pea Tendrils were, the highlight of my night wasn't the legumes on my plate. Michael Buble was even yummier looking and sounding then those veggies and took center stage for me. Dinner at Jordan's was delicious, as it always is, but it was exciting to find something somewhat unusual on the menu for my 365 Vegetables. These snap peas were offered as that evenings vegetable on the specials menu. I'm sure our waitress was wondering why I was asking so many questions about vegetables at a place that most people are quizzing her on the different cuts of steaks but she played along and was happy to humor me. She had to explain to me what the "tendrils" part of that evenings' veggie was. It sounded just unusual enough, so I ordered it along side at incredible piece of steak. As I sat there, with a great glass of red, enjoying my dinner and anticipating the concert, I realized something. A delicious main course, albeit, a New York strip or Cornish game hen, is only as good as the vegetables and sides to back it up. How boring would it be to sit there and chew on a piece of steak the entire dinner with nothing to compliment the flavor of the meat. It's the combination of the wine, the steak, the peas, the bread, that make the meal, the meal. It would be like listening to Michael Buble sing without a microphone and no band to back him up! Who am I kidding? I could listen to him sing in the shower...wait...yup that's sounds about right!

Okra

I don't know how I started eating Okra years ago but since I can remember, once every few months I pick up a jar of pickled okra. It's contents barely last a day in the fridge as I am constantly snacking on the peculiar pickles. This vegetable, with it's fuzzy texture and odd innards are something that I would have NEVER been offered up at our family dinner table. It remains a mystery where the love for pickled okra came from. However, pickled is the only way I have enjoyed okra all these years and I figured it's time to change that. I'm sure there are plenty of ways to prepare these odd, furry vegetables but time and again, I hear about fried okra, so I gave it a shot. It's funny, ever since I started this vegetable "project", I have fried more times than I care to admit in my house, something I never usually do. But you can't steam or sauteed everything and it has definitely made the other "resident" in this house very, very happy. Not being 100 percent sure the best way to go about frying up the okra, I did a little research online. A handful of recipes suggested cutting the okra into little "wheels" and letting sit in cold water in the fridge for an hour or so and then drain. What I saw then was like something out of a science fiction movie. I knew okra "innards" could be somewhat "slimy" but it turned my stomach at the amount that oozed out of the bottom of the strainer when I poured the okra-water mixture out. I quickly threw the okra wheels into a bowl with cornmeal seasoned with smoked paprika, salt and pepper, just so I didn't have to look at those little, slimy, green chunks. Tossing the okra until completely coated and barely any green shown through, it was now ready to take a dive in the vegetable "jacuzzi" heating up on my stove. The okra hung out in the bubbling vegetable oil for roughly 5 or 6 minutes, just until they were a nice golden color. Out they came, drained on a paper towel and sprinkled with salt and pepper. After a minute or two to cool, the taste test commenced. At first bite, all I could think of, was what looked like an "alien attack" in my sink earlier but I quickly got past that after the second bite. Long gone was the "slime" and in is place was a soft center with a crispy flavorful outer coating. The only thing missing was something sinful to dip them into, as if the frying didn't do enough damage to my daily calorie count! Maybe I should stick to the pickled okra just for the sake of my waistline and only "jacuzzi" them once a year....ok maybe twice a year!

Broccolini

I always thought that Broccolini was a cross between broccoli and asparagus. At least that is certainly the way it appears. With the head of a broccoli floret and the body similar to an asparagus spear. Surprisingly, it's actually part of the cabbage family. It's a hybrid of broccoli and Chinese chard. Regardless of where, what or how, it's delicious! I've been buying broccolini for years now and have been preparing it the same way each time; steamed with fresh lemon squeezed over it. As yummy as it is like that, it can get boring, especially when I steam it to death, that's how my husband likes all his vegetables...mush! I however, prefer a crunch still left to my veggies and that's just how I prepared the broccolini this time. Trying something different, I roasted the bunch in oven with some olive oil. Something, I always do with asparagus but never with broccoli. After about 20 minutes at 450 degrees, I tossed the broccolini with some balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper. The roasted spears had an texture unlike what I'm used to, I definitely got my "crunch"! The crisp floret was a nice change from the typical soggy head doused in lemon juice. However, like asparagus, if the spear isn't cooked well enough, it tends to get a little stringy. Regardless, the flavor offered up by roasting along with a good balsamic, has changed the way I cook broccolini. The days of vegetables cooked beyond recognition, like baby food are over. Someone (you know who are) better get used to it!

Grape Tomatoes

Again, tomatoes became my "go to" vegetable. Granted these little guys, which came out of my friend's garden in Florida, are very different than the few I had last week. It was another late night and the day got away from me. I had a butternut squash that was calling my name and a great recipe for it but we got a little sidetracked at a friends house and ended up coming home way past dinner time, certainly too late to put a squash in the oven. Having a fresh bunch of basil in the fridge along with a container full of these guys, I couldn't help myself making a tomato salad at 10:30 pm. With a little vinegar, some good olive oil, fresh garlic and salt and pepper, it made a nice vinaigrette for the tomatoes. I have been making tomato salads like this for years now but the one part that was always a pain, was cutting each one of these guys individually in half. Then one day, I caught a Rachel Ray episode (before my "beef" with her started...that story is for another time) and she offered up a little trick to making this task easier; Take two medium size storage container lids, put a handful of tomatoes in one on the counter top, with the lip facing up so they don't roll out and the other one on top of the tomatoes (kind of like a sandwich), gently press down, taking a long knife, slice through the entire bunch at once! It saves so much time and is a great trick, even if it came from "her"!

Bok Choy

I know some of you are thinking, didn't you just "do" bok choy? Yes and no. Baby bok choy, as I just found out is very different than the grown up version, bok choy. Though not planned, I am glad that I experienced these two vegetables so close in proximately to each other. By doing so, the taste of the baby bok choy was still fresh in my mind and was able to determine, they are very different from one another. First off, I should explain how it worked out that these two veggies ended up on the same month's roster in the first place. On my way home from work the other day, I felt like taking a little joy ride, cranked up some of my favorite tunes, rolled down the windows and took off. I headed in the direction of one this area's best kept secrets, Augustin's Farm on King Street in Greenwich. Hoping I wasn't too early for some Heirlooms, (which I was) I thought this might be a good place to look for something unusual to check off my list. Knowing very well if I didn't find "unusual", I would definitely find some fresh and delicious vegetables. My eyes went right to the tomatoes. I scanned all the shelves looking for those summertime gems but to my dismay, I was too early. However, I felt like a kid in a candy store, with all those colorful veggies sitting in bushel baskets and stacked in crates. Nothing out of the ordinary, but a vegetable is a vegetable and they all have to eventually come off my list of 365. Knowing very well that I still had a few treats in my "goody bag" from Florida, I wasn't planning on buying too much. I picked up a few onions and some scallions that I knew I was running low on and would need soon. While paying , I asked the woman behind the counter if anything "unusual' was growing out back that I could expect to see over the summer. She rattled off a few items and then a voice from even further back piped up, naming off a handful more. I realized that voice had been from Farmer John Augustin himself. It's hard to believe, standing there in this rustic farm stand, chatting about all kinds of vegetables, that I was only a few miles from home. I figured I should tell my new friends why I was so interested in all the odd veggies that they might have at the stand. Almost immediately, the woman I was chatting with excused herself and made a beeline right out into the farm. She came back a few minutes later with a bag full of beautiful greens, explaining that the larger of the bunches was bok choy and the smaller was radicchio. I think this were the freshest vegetables I've ever seen, there was literally dirt still attached to the roots! She graciously gifted me the bag of greens and I headed back home. Tonight I had the pleasure of cooking up the bok choy. I decided to treat the "older" version differently than I had the baby bok choy which I sauteed. This bunch I steamed and added some butter and salt to the finished product. I will admit, as fresh and as tasty as it was, I preferred the baby bok choy over this bunch. The baby bok choy has a softer taste to it and the "adult" bunch is more intense, bordering on bitter. Then again, sometimes us "adults' tend to be a little bitter too. Maybe I should have steamed it in some wine, that always helps my bitterness!

Augustin Farms

1332 King Street

Greenwich, CT

(203) 532-9611

Jilo

Jilo is a Brazilian vegetable that is related to the eggplant and the tomato. Technically, I believe it is classified as a fruit but you know my theory, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck...you know the rest. These little guys that resembled a bunch of limes, were another goody in my bag of vegetables from Florida. My friends have ties to Brazil and grow a few native vegetables in their garden, jilo being one of them. Having never seen, heard of, or tasted one before in my life, I need some guidance on how to prepare them. I was recommended to cut the jilo into small wedges and saute with garlic and onions. Surprisingly, when I cut into one, it had more of a dense texture inside then I expected. I thought for sure when the flesh inside was exposed, it would be more of a cucumber texture but this was more solid. So in the pan they went and I sauteed until fairly soft. I picked a few out of the pan to taste before they hit the dinner plate and almost instantly my mind went to eggplant. Initially the flavor was delicious but it left a bitter taste in my mouth. In my experience with eggplant, I found this happens sometimes when it's cooked improperly. So I wonder if I missed a step in cooking the jilo. I'll have to ask my friends if it is typical for them to taste like that or did I forget something. I was never a huge fan of eggplant either so maybe I just don't have the palate for the jilo. Regardless, I am so thrilled that I got the chance to check off a vegetable that would have never made my list if it hadn't been for my friends and their incredible garden of goodies!

Chinese String Beans

I was fortunate enough to be given a bag of the most fresh and beautiful looking vegetables straight out of a garden in Florida. They made the 1200 mile journey via Air Tran in the carry on bag of one of my most favorite people ever. She told me how going through the security, they did a double take on the x-ray screen of her bag. The two guards reviewing the contents, questioned each other asking if they each had seen what appeared to be an eggplant passing by. She overheard the conversation and corrected them by explaining it was a butternut squash! Along with that enormous squash she passed on to me, came a myriad of other vegetables picked from her garden that very morning. One the most interesting in the collection were the Chinese string beans. At first glance, when all bunched up in the bag together, nothing appears out of the ordinary. However, when you take them out and realize that you aren't looking at 40 or 50 individual string beans but 10 or 12 extremely long ones curled up around one another, that's when you know, this is no typical veggie. The longest string bean to come out of their garden so far has been 34", practically an entire yard! Apparently, this is characteristic of the Chinese string bean. I've read where chefs have cooked them in there entirety and served a few of them knotted as a side dish. I however, left the knots to the sailors and diced my beans up. Assuming they have Asian ties by their name, I decided to go that route while cooking them. Sauteed with garlic, onion, soy sauce, chicken stock, scallions and szechuan seasoning, they definitely had an oriental taste after simmering in that mix. It seemed odd serving this along side the pasta and sausage I made for dinner but I couldn't resist making these string beans right away. Having snacked on few raw ones before I started cooking, you could tell right away just how fresh they were. What a difference it makes when you get to enjoy vegetables that haven't been sitting out in the grocery store for days. I will confess though, I didn't notice much of a difference in taste from your average 4 or 5 inch string bean but just for the shear novelty of the size, makes it by far much cooler to serve up on your plate! I'll be checking my mailbox this summer hoping for some more. I don't think Air Tran allows vegetables to fly unaccompanied!

Lita Squash

Shaped more like and eggplant and a little lighter in color than typical summer squash, the Lita Squash was just as pretty as it was, delicious. I grabbed a few of these at my local farmers market that sets up shop in my town's municipal lot. It's a great market, small, but good. There is only a few farms that bring there crops but the veggies that hit their tables at the market are all so fresh and yummy. There is a vendor who sells the the most incredible cheeses. Hmmm...maybe next year, it should be 365 cheeses. OK, now I am getting off track. Back to the lita squash. I wasn't expecting a huge difference in taste from the squash that I usually have and I didn't find it. However, there definitely was a distinctive flavor, slight but it was there. Lacking the bitterness that sometimes summer squash can have, this was slightly sweeter. Sauteed with olive oil, fresh garlic, black pepper and just a little thyme, it made a great side to steak and shrimp that came off the grill. Before summer is over and these guys are gone, I think I might try them again, possibly stuffed or treated more like an eggplant, possibly a "Lita Parmesan". Wait a second....I'm going to need some cheese for that, aren't I?

Endive

I'm no stranger to endive. I'm also not a fan but that's the point of this project, to be more open minded when it comes to the vegetables that I eat. It's like when a child turns his or her nose up to something saying "I don't like it" when in fact they've never tried it or they've only had a bite or two, without really "tasting" it. That is how I felt about endive when I saw it sitting there in the produce market. My first reaction was that of hesitation, and I said to myself "Ewww...I don't like endive" but the more I thought about it, I couldn't remember an instance where I actually had eaten it. So, I figured it's time I gave it a fair try. Pretty certain that I do not like it raw,(confirmed just before I started cooking it this time) I decided to saute and simmer it with some butter and lemon juice and a pinch of sugar. It cooked for about 20-25 minutes and out of the pan it came. Part of me was hoping to not like it, just so I could justify all those times I said "Ewww!". I can't do that now, at least when the endive is cooked in this lemony-buttery concoction. The bitterness just melted away into the sauce but a tiny bite still remained which added a nice flavor to sweetness of the butter and sugar and tang of the lemon. Honestly, this is the first vegetable that I have been surprised by so far. Never in a million years did I think I would be saying that I actually like endive. I might even buy it again!

Red Radish

Radishes are one of those vegetables that I never liked but I never hated either. They just were always "there". Sitting on a crudites platter, the last one to be picked, kind of like the small nerdy kid in gym. Tossed on top of a salad, knowing very well, they were just put there for the nice contrast of the white and red against the leafy greens. So any opportunity I have had to taste a radish, it was either covered in salad dressing or dipped in some creamy ranch or onion dip. 365 vegetables is a lot to go through and I can't be picky about what I eat, so the radish was just next in a very long line. While helping out at a friends house, preparing food for my favorite little 1 year olds birthday party the next day, everyone was chopping and cutting veggies and it seemed like the perfect time to "chop" the red radish off my list. It was interesting to truly "taste" a radish. Not smothered or covered and not sliced and diced. Just naked and all in one piece. I never realized but these little guys have quite a bite. Something that goes unnoticed when it's swimming in Italian dressing or taking a dive in onion dip. Admittedly, I think my life could go on if I never eat another radish again. However, next time I see them on the crudites platter, I will be sure to make them my first choice, for all those nerdy kids in gym class.

Edamame

I have # 1, a job, #2, a husband, #3, a home and #4, a dog. All take up a good part of my daily life. This "project" I have started is number 5 on my list and sometimes, numbers 1 thru 4 are going to get in the way of my 365! But if I set up a good system and have a few contingency plans in place, I can keep checking vegetables off my list. This was the case today. Our dinner plans were sidetracked by a call from my husband on his way to the emergency room. He had taken a nasty slice to his finger and was definitely going to need stitches. Almost instantly, one of my favorite Seinfeld episodes played in my head. Elaine, rushing out of a movie theater to go to the ER to meet her hurt boyfriend, stops at the concession stand and picks up some Jujyfruits before catching a cab to be by his side. Would it be so wrong to meet my husband at the hospital with a Whole Foods bag in tow? Then for some reason, those damn red beets came to mind! Ah Ha! I still have some yummy edamame beans at home that I did not eat the other night because of the beets on my salad. I had decided to count them as my veggie of the day and finally check off the dreaded red beet from my list! Finally, something good has come of those stupid beets (Sorry to all my beet loving fans). Off to the ER I went, with no "Jujyfruits" in hand. By the time he was stitched up and discharged, neither of us felt like cooking and it was definitely a Chinese take out night. Of course, there were numerous veggies in my dinner that I could have counted as my veggie of the day, snow peas, enoki mushrooms, broccoli. I stuck with with my edamame later on when the Chinese food "wore off"! It really is a great snack and fills that craving for something salty without opening up a bag of chips or something even worse. Portable and much better for you, this is one vegetable that I don't think about enough and after today's events, came in so handy! I will definitely be picking up more to have on hand when I'm looking for something to snack on.

Fiddleheads

Grossed out and slightly scared. That's how I would describe the feelings I had when I saw the Fiddleheads for the first time at Whole Foods. They looked like something that was going to unfurl and slither away. It's exactly the type of vegetable I wanted to be a part of this project. So I grabbed a handful and off I went, not knowing anything about this mysterious vegetable. I happen to stop by work, where my position is everything from personal assistant, house manager, handy-woman, basically, jack of all trades. Thinking that I would surprise everyone in the house with my new "find", I was surprised when my boss peeked in the bag and exclaimed "Oh fiddleheads!", as if it was as common as a head of iceberg lettuce. She explained that they used to grow wild near their previous home in Connecticut and would pick them to add to salads. My plan was to saute them and have them as a side dish to some shrimp and chicken skewers. We had a friend joining us for dinner, so I plied our guest with a couple of cold "beverages" and whipped out the latest "oddity" to serve up with dinner. My husband and our friend were both leery to say the least of the fiddleheads. I, on the other hand, was down right scared. At this point, I was very glad that I had joined in on those "beverages" earlier. How can a vegetable instill "fear"? An ugly green color, some furry brown parts, all rolled up like a caterpillar taking a nap is how. And here it was, sitting on my plate, just waiting for my fork to spear it and take the ride up to my mouth. I think we all took a bite in unison and am pretty sure we all agreed (I mentioned those beverages, right?) that the taste wasn't bad but the texture took a minute to get used to. My friend deemed it a "vegetarian shrimp". Not so much for the flavor, which I felt had a slight asparagus flavor, but the shape and the furriness reminded him of the crustacean that still had it's little legs intact. When it came down to it, the fiddleheads weren't bad. However, I won't be rushing out anytime soon and picking up more. Especially after a few of the articles I read online, afterward mind you. According to the few I read, they need to be thoroughly cooked because depending on the type of fiddlehead, some have trace amount of toxins that can cause illness in rare cases. Also, the fiddlehead is part of the fern plant and it's basically a frond that has not opened yet. On the plus side, most of the articles I read, all mention that fiddleheads are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins.

I think I will stick to my Flinstone's chewables.

Red Beets

I had a hard time deciding which vegetable to count as one of my 365 today. Originally, the plan was for Tuesday's veggie was to be something portable and "snack-like". Planning a little better ahead than the last time I went into the city for the night, I picked up some edamame beans. I'm no stranger to these salty little treats and often have them when I go to my favorite hibachi restaurant, Nagoya in South Norwalk. I never think to pick them up to have at home though. This project of mine is starting to get me to think outside of the box, exactly what I had hope to accomplish. However, at dinner that night, unbeknownst to me, my salad came with a heaping pile of RED BEETS! I was like a deer in headlights. What to do? This was my chance to check the dreaded red beet off my list. So, out came my cellphone and like Ansel Adams and Produce Pete's love child, I snapped this shot. At that moment, it was decided, Tuesday's vegetable was Red Beets. My first thought was that perhaps the salad dressing will spice things about a bit and will make it a little more palatable. Nope! I'm not going to lie or sugar coat this. They were just plain gross. I just can't get passed the cold, dirt taste. Warmed with olive oil and some salt and pepper, like the golden beets the other night, they might possibly be "OK". But Cold? No Thank you! I knew I was right all these years.

Chayote

The other day I mentioned to my friend that I picked up a few chayotes and was planning on adding them to my "365" list. She said it sounded like some kind of contraband veggie that people "ate" in the 60's. It looked more like a green apple that got smooshed in the bottom of grocery bag and it tasted quite different. A relative of the squash family, after boiling whole, it had the texture of a melon and a mild flavor. I ended up stuffing the chayotes with a mixture of ground chicken, the chayote pulp, arborio rice made with chicken broth, diced bell peppers, breadcrumbs, some Parmesan cheese and my new friend the garlic scape. (I bought a 2nd batch recently and am trying to work my way through! A little goes a long way.) After stuffing the hollowed out chayotes, I tossed a few more breadcrumbs and a sprinkle of parm on top and let them brown on the broiler for a minute. This was one veggie that I thought for sure I would not be able to convince my husband to eat but when he saw them come out from under the broiler, he could not resist and neither could I!

Purple Potatoes

I have a few pet peeves...I don't like the word "moist" (gagging as I type this), people who drive too slow on the highway and I will not eat anything blue. Blue is not a food color. People always say to me "but what about blueberries?". Have these people ever eaten a blueberry? First off, it's skin borders on the purple side and the inside resembles anything but the color blue. But I digress, back to the purple potato and lets be clear on this, it is PURPLE. I will admit, it was worrying me a little bit prior to cutting into one of these amethyst toned tubers. What if, when that knife slit the first potato open and all I saw was a sea of blue potato flesh, what would I have done? Rushed to the closest store and replaced the horrid BLUE potato with something more color "safe"? Broken one of my all time foodie rules and choked down the Sapphire spud? Luckily, to my excitement, it was as purple as the day is long. Which contrasted so nicely to the green of the celery that came to the party. The "party" being the bowl of purple potato salad that I whipped up with the 6 or so potatoes I purchased. My new friend, the Garlic scape also joined the gang in the bowl. Ms. Mayo graciously brought the white wine vinegar to the party and as usual, Mr. Dijon showed up with that crazy couple, Salt and Pepper! I might just have to call this my Purple Party Potato Salad from now on! Seriously though, the salad came out great and not to show favoritism but my new buddy, the garlic scape really added a nice flavor. It gave a slight garlic and onion flavor without being too intense. The mildness of the white wine vinegar didn't over power the dressing and added a nice soft tang. Honestly, other than the fun color that these potatoes offer, I was unable to distinguish much of a difference from many of the other varieties of potatoes but I did love the way the colors melded together for this dish and think it would look great on the picnic table this summer!

Jalapenos

Well it finally happened. Mainly due to poor planning on my part. I found myself at a bar trying to find some kind of "exotic" vegetable on the menu. It was slim pickings to say the least. Had I organized my day better and thought about this ahead of time, I could have enjoyed a nice salad with some jicama and a cilantro lime dressing before I headed out for the night or an omelet that morning with some white asparagus and fresh thyme. However, I didn't plan anything. Nada. Zip. Zilch. So here I sit, at the Amsterdam Ale House, perusing the menu for something that I can legitimately count as one of my 365 vegetables. Ironically the closest "unusual" item to be found was a beet salad. Ahhhh...We meet again my old nemesis! Having finally made friends with the golden beet earlier in the week, I opted for the second best on the menu, Jalapeno Poppers. Truthfully, as wide of a spectrum of food that I do eat, I don't think I've ever indulged in an order of these classic bar snacks. After enjoying my first ever order of poppers and a cold beer, I questioned why I had never had these little deep fried gems before today. It took the second beer to really convince myself that I can justifiably check off jalapenos on my list. But the more I think about it now, how could I not. I know that I won't be able to personally prepare every single vegetable that I try and want to add to my list but the point is to experience, one way or another 365 different vegetables in 365 days. Jalapenos are not exactly "new" to me, in fact I used them in the tomatillo salsa I prepared the other day but those times are few and far between. However, the bite of the jalapeno without it being too intense, makes me realize now, it can really enhance the flavor of many dishes and I will being adding it to my next shopping list.

Baby Bok Choy

Bok Choy. Bok Choy. It just plain fun to say. I've always "heard" of bok choy and I'm sure I've eaten it somewhere along the line, probably in Chinese take out, but I've never cooked with it. It's often overwhelming, looking at all the lettuces and leafy greens in the produce market. You stand there, looking at this field of green, not knowing what's what. Sure I can pick out the Romaine, you'd have to be an idiot not to know which one is the Iceberg and luckily Mesclun usually comes in it's own little box, as if it's too good to be with the rest of the "peasant greens". The produce market thinks they are being helpful by tacking up 3 dozen signs, indicating all the different lettuces on show in that case, but determining which is which is a whole other thing! Don't tease me with a sign saying "Watercress" and make me figure out what one it is! That is the knowledge I hope to gain by the end of 365 Vegetables. No fear at the lettuce case. Admittedly, the baby bok choy was easy to pick out because the produce market nicely had it in own little crate with a very clear sign indicating what it was. Searching for recipes to use the green, Martha Stewart offered a simple and quick recipe on her web site for sauteed baby bok choy, using soy sauce and chicken stock. My use of soy sauce has recently been cut back significantly for diet reasons and it was a very nice treat to use it in the recipe. It really gave it a nice Asian flavor and was a nice side along with a few grilled rib eyes. Still a little uneasy selecting from that big produce case of lettuces, I will cave in soon. Salads are one of my favorite meals (while dining out) and I need to conquer this fear in order to start serving up some great salads and greens at home!

Tomatoes

Really? Tomatoes? This early on in the game. Put it this way, it was a late night and tomatoes are my "go to" vegetable. I can eat tomatoes, morning, noon and night. I picked these 1/2 pounders up at my favorite new produce market the other day along with some fresh basil. In my eyes, it's practically sacrilegious to not have fresh basil with a nice ripe tomato. It would be like forgetting the jelly in a PB&J sandwich! I had no intention of counting these two beauties as part of my little project but after tossing together a nice caprese salad at close to midnight, it seemed as if I had no choice. And lets be honest, the tomato deserves to be at the top of the line. It's a classic. A staple. An idol in the vegetable world. I know many of you out there are saying " Technically a tomato is a fruit not a vegetable". But seriously, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and sounds like a duck...it's a duck! Or a vegetable for that matter. As we get further into summer, I will be on the hunt for my favorites, the heirlooms! They are in a category all their own and I fully intend to treat them that way.

Zucchini Blossoms

Not knowing whether you should cook your vegetables or put them in a vase as the dinner table centerpiece was the conundrum I faced with the zucchini blossom. Light orange in color with pretty petals and a cute little stem, they look more like a corsage you'd see at prom than an appetizer. I was so excited to find these at a great produce market I happened upon about 40 minutes away from home. I envision many road trips to this little gem of a market! The zucchini blossoms were not as unknown to me as those funky little garlic scapes. Seeing the blossoms a handful of times on cooking shows and menus, gave me some knowledge on them. Still, I've never cooked with them, as well as never eaten one. The thought of eating a "flower" seems a little strange but then again, how bad can something battered and fried be? Frying looks to be the most popular and appropriate way to eat these guys. The cello wrapping the blossoms came in gave a quick recipe on how to cook them and I followed that. I had two strikes against me attempting this...One, I NEVER fry. Not because I'm some health nut watching my cholesterol. I happily order french fries and clam strips in a restaurant, but I can stand the smell that permeates long after the meal is over and done with. Two, did I mention, I'm cooking with "flowers"? I put all that aside, dug deep in the back of the pantry and found a quart of vegetable oil and started battering up the zucchini blossoms. After a few minutes, the smell of the hot oil was enough to coax my husband downstairs, following the greasy aroma right to the frying pan. I think he was more shocked to see the bubbling oil rather than the fact that it looked like I was cooking something out of our planter at the front door. I swear I saw him rummage through the fridge to find something else to throw into that pan, knowing he probably won't get the chance again for a while. After a few minutes of frying on both sides, I scooped them out of the pan, let them drain on a few sheets of paper towels and sprinkled with salt and pepper. I let them cool for a minute or two and then tried the crispy little flower...like I said before "how bad can something battered and fried be?" Not bad at all! Maybe, it's just the excitement of having something fried at home but they were pretty tasty. Granted, most of the flavor comes from the crispy batter on the outside and the texture comes from the flower on the inside but the combination is pretty interesting. I regret now, not taking a bite out of the raw flower to see what it tastes like without a jacuzzi in Wesson oil. Maybe next time!

Tomatillos

Wandering around the Farmer's Market the day I came up with the idea to try 365 different vegetables, the first vegetable that came to mind, other than that unusual Garlic Scape, was the tomatillo. They always catch my eye when I'm walking the aisles of my local produce market. I'm often tempted to buy some, going as far as picking them up and selecting a few that I think "look good". But then I notice my hands are sticky and the funny "wrapper" keeps sticking to me. Panicked, I quickly take them out of my basket and promptly put them back in the crate in which they came from. What am I thinking? I know nothing about this funny, green "tomato" that looks like it's wrapped parchment paper. Why would I ever attempt to cook with it? Now I know! It has a great tangy, almost citrus flavor but remains savory. Admittedly, I did what most people do with the tomatillo, I made salsa. Understandably though, it makes a great salsa verde. I broiled the handful that I had along with some jalapenos. Carefully, picking out the peppers when all the vegggies were charred on the top, the juice that the jalepenos leaked out was just enough to spice up the salsa. Adding the roasted tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, red onion, lime juice and salt and pepper to a food processor, then blending, created a great quick and easy salsa. This is one veggie that I will not wait another 365 days to cook with again!

Golden Beets

If there's one vegetable that give me the creeps, it's a beet. I was never forced to eat them as kid, mainly because the only thing red my mother ate came on a stick and tasted like a cherry. I'm still amazed that I enjoy so many different foods, when the woman who raised me calls chocolate milkshakes "breakfast" and Raisinettes "lunch". Don't get me wrong, my brother and I always ate well and Mom always managed to have your standard issue veggies on the table at dinner. There was usually corn or peas. I remember plenty of baked potatoes but that was as exotic as it got. Growing up, the only time I can recall seeing beets was as a selection at the salad bar. They looked scary, just sitting there, cold and red. So as I got older and started cooking for myself, I steered clear of beets. Now jump ahead 10, 15...OK maybe 20 years. It's time to face my fear of the beet. Alright, I may have cheated a little bit. The thought of cutting into one of those scary red things this early on in my little adventure was too much to handle. I went for the Golden Beet, cousin to Big Red. They are a beautiful orange color that resembles many yummy vegetables that I am not afraid of. Roasted then peeled, I sliced them into medallions that looked like little gold coins and then sauteed them in olive oil with crushed garlic. My plan was not to get too fancy with these guys. Figuring if I kept it simple, I would be able to pass fair judgement on my childhood veggie adversary. The verdict is in and my fears are quelled. I can think of many dishes that would be honored to ride shotgun on the dinner plate with this earthy tasting root vegetable. The golden beet will be invited back to our house in the future but his cousin Big Red and I still need to make nice-nice with each other at a later date.

Garlic Scapes

Up until 6 hours ago I had know idea what a Garlic Scape was let alone know how to cook or prepare them. I'm by no means an "expert" on the Scape at this point BUT...I am feeling as if I met a new friend whom I'd like to get to know better. However, from what I researched, the time I get to spend with my new friend is pretty limited. Looks like this funky little treat is only around in May and June (at least up here in New York State). Now that I tried this unusual "fancy weed" as my brother so graciously described it, I can see myself adding it to my list of go-to veggies. A little too potent to stand alone, it would be great finely sliced and added to a salad, mixed in with mashed potatoes for a nice kick or minced and tossed with olive oil for a nice coating for shrimp on the grill. That "mild garlicky" flavor my farmer friend mentioned was a little more than mild. Some parts of the Garlic Scape had such a bite, it made me think that a scallion and a bulb of garlic met one wild night in the produce market, had too much tomato juice and nine months later, out pops their love child, the Garlic Scape!

I know this winter when I am making a nice hearty stew, I will be longing for my new friend and wishing he was there to put a little spunk in the pot. Perhaps he has a cousin that comes north for the winter and will kick my stew into party mode!