I never thought I’d write about vegetables.
I never imagined I’d buy a cookbook focused completely on vegetables
I never thought I’d buy my best friend a cookbook about vegetables as part of her birthday gift.
But look! Here I am, writing about vegetables because I got this cookbook on vegetables which I liked enough to buy for my BFF for her birthday! To be fair, I also gifted her some of my favorite chocolate products, but… vegetables. I’m sure she didn’t see that coming.
Because I like pastries. And chocolate. And coffee. And milk tea. And bacon. And fried stuff. And usually, vegetables don’t fall under any of those categories (except veggie tempura and onion rings, I guess, but does that really count??).
If you really think about it, though, it totally makes sense that I should get a cookbook on vegetables. Veggies are my relative cooking weakness, so why shouldn’t I turn to an expert who LOVES them and get advice on how she prepares them? I mean, if I wanted to make more delightful desserts, I’d look to the greats like David or Thomas or Dorie
I first heard about this book from my friend Stella, who loves veggies. Who better to recommend a book on veggies than someone who loves veggies? Seriously, I can’t think of why it took me so long to think of this. Stella and her husband brought us a delicious home-cooked meal, and I promptly asked her how she did her Brussels sprouts. My favorite way to cook vegetables is to toss them in olive oil, salt, and pepper, then roast in the oven. Her recipe included that method, but with an extra step: dressing. They were dressed in an orange maple balsamic dressing that added an extra something delightful I NEVER would have thought of! What a pairing. YUM!
She then told me about this vegetable book she had. My first thought was to ignore that detail, because who wants a cookbook on vegetables? (I kid. I’m just a sugar fiend). But then she told me about these other veggie dishes she had made from it, and by golly, they all sounded so good. And if these Brussels sprouts were any indication of the kinds of flavor combinations and ideas I’d find in the book, then it had to be worth the $16 purchase. I mean, $16 for a book of great ideas on how to turn veggies from “I’ll eat them because they’re good for me,” to “Mmmm! They’re good! I want to eat more!”
The verdict? I LOVE THIS BOOK. So far, every recipe I’ve tried from it has been a hit, including Roasted Broccoli Florets with Japanese Dipping Sauce (Ponzu), Roasted Green Beans and Cremini Mushrooms with Rosemary-Garlic Oil, Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Orange Butter Sauce, Stir-Fried Swiss Chard with Pine Nuts and Balsamic Butter. Each recipe required a bit more work than I usually put into veggies, but each recipe turned out greens that we all (including the toddler) ate up with Yums and Mmms! I didn’t even always have all the ingredients on hand (like rosemary or pine nuts), but the dishes still turned out great.
I really appreciate that I have a go-to book on how to prepare veggies, now. Internet recipes can be kind of a hit or miss, but this book has been all hits so far. I mean, for one of the recipes, I even wrote this note to myself, “YUM. Better than fries…” Like, really, JoEllen? Really.
Also, this resource has upped my game at the farmer’s market. I usually go there to buy fruit, since I actually know what to do with those. But the wonderful assortment of fresh, organic California vegetables is usually lost on me. I know, what a pity. I’ll snap you a picture of that California produce goodness next time. It’s beautiful.
I had known that swiss chard was up there on the leafy greens list for a while, but never bought it since I didn’t know how I’d cook it. But last Saturday, armed with the confidence this new veggie book gave me, I boldly bought a bunch of beautiful, red purply green swiss chard. As if I knew what I was going to do with it (I didn’t). As if I knew how to cut and prepare this thing (I didn’t). As if I had ever actually eaten this vegetable before (I hadn’t).
In case you didn’t know, this is swiss chard.
The lady at the stand did not seem very impressed with me, but I was impressed with me. I think my mom is impressed with me right now. I know Ben is impressed with me. Look at me! Cooking swiss chard! SO IMPRESSIVE. And I took that swiss chard home (BTW “chard” sounds like “charred.”) and made something delicious out of it. We all liked it. I ENJOYED MY VEGETABLES. More than my meat. More than my carbs.
If that’s not worth writing home about, I don’t know what is. If you’re meh about vegetables but still make the effort to eat them (and shouldn’t we all?), then try this book out. If you have to eat them anyway, you might as well enjoy it more! I really think this book might just change your feelings about them.
*Note: While this is not a sponsored post, I do participate in the Amazon Affiliates program. This means if you ever buy anything through one of my Amazon links, I will receive a percentage of that purchase (at no cost to you).
3 responses to “I’m Going to Write About Vegetables.”
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Ooh I’ll check it out! I got a lot better at veggies when I was eating paleo, but sadly I am now lazy about my veggies again.
You’ve convinced me. I couldn’t agree more that it’s hit or miss trying online veggie dishes. So I kind gave up trying to “decorate” my veggie dishes. This sounds intriguing. Thanks for tip.
I have all three of Susie’s books and just love them. As you said, JoEllen, when I go to the process of making one of the recipes in any of the books, I know that it will be great! I’m a veggie lover!