More Vegetables, More Questions

I don't want to say this too loud.

Normally, any too-enthusiastic declaration of a new healthy habit usually jostles said healthy behavior right out of place.  It breaks off to roll under the couch, never to be seen again behind a dusty collection of diet coke bottles, single stick cigarette containers and empty pints of ice cream.

BUT...(come closer and I will whisper this in your ear) I think might be turning a corner with vegetables. 

Friday is the day that I get to see what is coming in my produce delivery and I spent a few happy minutes playing around with what was in my cart like...like I was shopping for summertime espadrilles or something.

And so today my bounty arrived:

 

Very exciting! 

Until I realized that every single item (other than the onions, lemons and pear) also came with its own opportunity to highlight how little context I have for fruits and vegetables.  (Oh, wait, I guess I don't have any questions for the rabe, because we've met, and I already know what I'm doing with the whole lot of it - yum!)

For example:

• Nantes Carrots: Soooo...what's your deal?  I put you on the list because if I have eaten you, I didn't pay attention. I think you are supposed to be sweeter than regular carrots, but so what?  I mean, like are you special and ergo should be saved for some kind of special carrot dish and would it be wasting your specialness to put you to work in a stock?  
• Kumquats: For serious, I am supposed to eat the whole thing?  I have before; why can't I accept that as correct?
• Kale: Crap, what am I going to do with you?  I mean, I have a ton of options, but what is the best way for me to make peace with your...kale-y-ness? I need some equivalent to the broccoli rabe bulgur recipe, a kale recipe that will make me fall madly in love with you right away. 
• Rhubarb: Do I even have time to deal with you this week?  How long will you last?  Are you going to force me to make a pie crust or will I just resort to a frozen dessert?
• Spinach: Ditto my comments for kale.  Also: are you going to make my stomach hurt? I went through a weird phase four years ago where spinach always made my stomach hurt, or at least appeared to.  Is it the oxalic acid?
  
• Avocado: Look, let's face it, you're going to be made into gelato.  But will I be able to discern just the correct ripeness in order to make this odd dessert as tasty as possible??

These, and other burning produce questions will be answered over the next few days, and I am hoping to have time to do a Getting-to-Know-You or two. 

For now, I'm going to go spend the next two hours washing vegetables, fretting about whether or not I should be washing them eat if I am not sure if I am going to be eating them soon, and/or distractedly paging through every reference book I have.  Thank goodness I'm only partially employed this week.

Comments

[Heather]

"Crap, what am I going to do with you?" LOL! This seems to be the impetus for every new cooking recipie I've ever learned. I buy something that looks good and then back home I'm like, "now what?" ;)