Farm fresh to you...
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85137)
Shingle Springs, California
November 4, 2009 11:19pm CST
My mom could cook, but she was never much for fresh vegetables. Don't know why that is, but when it came to veggies, we mostly ate frozen (warmed up, silly) or occasionally canned vegetables. Other than corn on the cob, I can't really recall mom cooking fresh vegetables at all other than in stews and soups.
As for me, I guess I'm a teensy bit more adventurous, if you can call spinach, green beans, zucchini and asparagus adventurous. But I have never done anything with such things as beets, eggplant, turnips or many other vegetables.
Anyway, we were at the state fair in September and a nice salesman approached us. I was all in "NO" mode, but the other half is a wee bit of a softy when it comes to certain things. Now don't get me wrong, I'm all for organic food, I buy a lot of it at the market, but having stuff shipped to us, blind? Yikes.
The deal was that every 4 weeks we get a box of fruits and vegetables, organic, whatever happens to be in season, and we pay a flat fee. Not as cheap as you could get if you went to the farmer's market and picked stuff out, but not outrageous either. The softy said yes, and I didn't put my foot down and say no.
We're on our third box. Mostly it's pretty familiar stuff, tomatoes, onions, apples, pears, lettuce, spinach, peppers, etc. But most boxes come with at least one item that I'm not completely familiar with. This week it was chard (heck I didn't even know WHAT it was, had to look it up) and kiwi fruit. OK yeah I've eaten kiwi, but I've never peeled one or anything. But it was the chard that baffled me.
But that's what the internet's for, right? Dawn's exciting new piece of information for the day. Chard can be prepared pretty much the same way as spinach. So our exciting dinner ended up being fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy and creamed chard/spinach. Tasted better than just creamed spinach, actually.
Going a little outside my comfort zone. What next? I hope it isn't Brussels sprouts. Yech...
4 people like this
16 responses
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
I love Brussells! My hubby says that is the English in me, but I like them - much better than cabbage.
My mother never cooked anything that I ate with any delight and all I can remember is potato. I am making up for lost time. I LOVE my veges and we have six or seven every night and a fresh salad every lunch. My favourite would have to be another English one - parsnips - any way, but especially roasted. My youngest son is an expert with eggplants which he loves, so I'm going to be learning a few tricks when he is here soon.
Interesting, with some mystery, but I wouldn't want a box delivered every week. I'd rather pick my own.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
It's only every four weeks. And there's a farmer's market nearby on Sunday, but invariably, by the time I get my rear in gear, I've already missed it. Anyway, this way I get to try stuff that I might not otherwise. Once I've paid for it, I'm darn well going to make sure that I don't let it go to waste!
I rather like eggplant, just never learned how to cook it. Never tried parsnips. I can tolerate Brussels sprouts if they aren't overdone or underdone, but I never quite seem to get it right. 
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
Brussells are best steamed - not soggy that way - just a tiny bit crispy if you time it well.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
That's what a friend of mine told me. I tried it but didn't quite get it right. Didn't like them enough to try again...
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
5 Nov 09
I have never heard of or cannot imagine how you could stuff a little brussell sprout. How do you do this?
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Nov 09
That is really neat, i would love to get fresh things like that every few weeks. I love fresh veggies & fruits to. I'm like u i wouldn't want brussel sprouts so i'd just give them to my friend across the street, they love them. Enjoy all those good things, the softie did good this time. 
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
5 Nov 09
U are going to hold his nose & stuff it down him, right?
1 person likes this
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
5 Nov 09
I think that this is a great idea - I wish that I could have this type of service. Actually, I love brussels sprouts but they must ot be overcooked. I sprinkle black pepper on them and just eat them all up! Eat them at the crunchy stage. Also good with a salad dressing.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
OH I misread that, thought you said you liked them overcooked. I'm glad I went back and reread it!!!
I'm glad I went back and reread it!!!@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
Yum, sounds good. I also like cauliflower raw with french onion dip. :-)
@cynthiann (18612)
• Jamaica
5 Nov 09
No. Just my inept typing with stiff fingers. Undercooked really. I also adore cauliflower. Sometimes, if I am alone at home, then I just steam a whole cauliflower for dinner and eat it with black pepper and some butter drizzled over it. Just that for dinner and it is marvellous. Am salivating.
1 person likes this
@thea09 (18305)
• Greece
5 Nov 09
Oh good grief I've never heard of anyone creaming chard. No wait I'm confusing it with bok choy. Ok the Irish add chard to mashed potatoes and that is good. Creamed spinach does sound vile though. Spinach should be rinsed lightly and the leaves shaken to remove water, then simply stir fried with garlic or mustard seeds or both for less than a minute. It is also good as a last minute addition to a Thai curry so it is merely wilted. People have been overcooking vegetables for years losing most of the goodness in them.
When the aubergines arrive (our national vegetable and eggplants to you lot over the pond) I'll fill you in on them before you pick up bad habits on how to ruin them.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
The spouse will only eat spinach creamed. It's not bad at all, really. And even better with the chard in it. You don't have to overcook it, you can steam it and then chop it up and then mix it into the sauce.
Bad habits on how to ruin them, lol. I was going to call mom's friend Jeannine for her eggplant parmesan recipe...
@cher913 (25781)
• Canada
5 Nov 09
that sounds very cool! i have never heard of anything like that before. we are not too adventurous when it comes to veggies either. i like corn and carrots and hubby likes beans (green) we do like salads so we get fresh veggies that way and we either get them at the grocery store or at (very once in awhile) the farmers market.
my parents used to love swiss chard when i was growing up but being an only child (and spoiled) i never had to eat veggies i didnt like!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
When I was a child, we had to sit at the table until we ate. Never a problem for me, I liked everything. My poor brother often sat there all night and then went to bed hungry.
@blackbriar (9075)
• United States
7 Nov 09
I know what your talking about, dawn. It's a co-op where you pay so much a month for fresh in-season fruits and veggies and get a box of it, usually delivered to your door. The one here comes from an organic farm/greenhouse and they are awesome. Only one little problem with it...you have to place your order a year in advance to get in. It's THAT popular here. They also offer a discount if you go out there and work a few days to help earn that box of food every month. We want to get in on it but we are on a waiting list for another 6mo. -giggling- Brussel sprouts will surface next spring or summer if your still with the program.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Feb 10
Missed this response. WE don't have to place an order that far in advance, but they determine what's in the boxes unless you call up and change it.
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
5 Nov 09
You were being adventuristic weren't you..but in such a good way! I have never eaten Chard before.....and with you one hundred percent on the brussels sprouts.....the only kind I have eaten were frozen ones and I think actually if they were cooked a little less they might be a bit more tasty then the soft ones that are frozen.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
I have tried steaming them and they almost tasted OK, if I could get them exactly right they might be. But a little underdone and they're hard. A little overdone and they're bitter and stinky.
@weasel81 (2496)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
normally we'd have a veggie garden this time of yr, but water wise we can't. i know what you mean about some frozen veggie's to much water. but it's sometimes cheaper having frozen than fresh, value wise. i like eggplants in ratatouli, but do get sick of zucchini, after so long. as for brussel sprouts, yuck. if i get them on my plate i will off load them to some one else's.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
some vegetables handle freezing and canning better than others, brussels sprouts are not among them...
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
25 Nov 09
hi dawnald I was born and raised on a farm and ate only farm fresh stuff til I grew up and went out to work.boy was I surprised at how a lot of people ate. when we had our own house I had a big garden and I grew a number of our own veggies and boy were they good. frozen is okay but fresh is best if you can get them.when we lived in tustin I 
could get Irvine farms home grown produce at vons for a really low price.now I dont cook for myself so I am at the mercy of whatever a cook wants to serve us.
could get Irvine farms home grown produce at vons for a really low price.now I dont cook for myself so I am at the mercy of whatever a cook wants to serve us.1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Feb 10
Whoops, missed this one too!
Are there still any farms left in Irvine? Most of that area has gotten pretty built up!
@oXAquaXo (607)
• United States
5 Nov 09
For us, vegetables are very important in our diet. We have to have at least two different dishes with vegetables on the dinner table every day. Our refrigerator is filled with vegetables. I'm ok with them; I don't hate them, but I'm not in love with them either. My mom only buys organic veggies. She's very big on health foods, as she has heart issues. Well, my whole family has health problems, except for me, so everyone is always eating healthy foods.
What's best is my mom knows how to cook vegetables. She knows tons of different ways to cook the same foods, so it's never boring with us. My mom's a great cook, so I hope I can be like her =)
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
They are very important and most people don't eat enough of them. I tend to mostly cook the ones that the children like, which is a very short list.
@paleorainy (630)
• Italy
5 Nov 09
If it is brussel sprouts just wash them carefully and put them in the oven with olive oil oil, garlic (if you like), loads of rosemary, sage and thyme. Let them roast like they were roasted potatoes until the outer leaves are brown-ish and crunchy. They really look like roasted potatoes.
1 person likes this
@cloudwatcher (6861)
• Australia
5 Nov 09
I've never tried roasting them but I'll give it a go - without the garlic.
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
Two of my kids like certain vegetables, the third hates them all. Well she tolerates corn, but only on the cobb. It's a joy and a pleasure to listen to her whine about food practically every night, though I have figured out how to sneak vegetables into many foods that she does like.
@bunnybon7 (50970)
• Holiday, Florida
5 Nov 09
well all thats very good to know. i've never tried it either. never heard of chard. i love veggies. have never had anyone approach me about delivery tho. i have had them come knock on the door and ask if i'd like meat delivered. how strange is that? like im going to have meat delivered when i have no idea if its really what they say it is. 
how strange is that? like im going to have meat delivered when i have no idea if its really what they say it is. @dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
mystery meat!!!
Chard is this green, leafy thing with stalks that look somewhat like celery. I had heard of it but never tried it!
Chard is this green, leafy thing with stalks that look somewhat like celery. I had heard of it but never tried it!
@froggieslover (3069)
• United States
5 Nov 09
I guess I am more in your mothers category of cooking. While my family does have it's vegetables it is mostly from a can or the freezer with an occasion corn on the cob or tomato. We all like vegetables we are just not very open I guess you would say. My mother grows a small garden at her place with things such as corn, tomatoes, zucchini, radishes, pumpkins and cucumbers and I will always bug her for tomatoes because my son and I love them and can sit with just them and some mayo and eat and eat =)
There is a small farmers market here in town every sunday and I keep telling myself to get over there and check it out but I keep missing it. I am not sure how many other type veggies my family would eat other than the peas, beans, corn we eat from the can and such but I know that some of the fruits would be something that I would buy up...
I am one of those ladies that has good intentions but poor motivation 
If I just had some extra motivation I might grow and eat better veggies myself.
If I just had some extra motivation I might grow and eat better veggies myself. 1 person likes this
@dawnald (85137)
• Shingle Springs, California
5 Nov 09
good intentions but poor motivation - that's me all over the place!
