I am thrilled to have Ann Lokuta, one of my extraordinary interns, as my first guest blogger! In addition to being an all-star intern, she is pursing a Masters degree in Public Health at the University of Michigan. In this post, Ann shares the inspiration behind her vegetable challenge, plus helpful tips on how to step out of your culinary comfort zone and have some fun with veggies.
My Marriage to Vegetables
veg-e-ta-ble adjective: of, relating to, constituting, or growing like plants
Three
weeks ago, I attended a lecture that changed my life (dramatic, but true). The speaker mentioned as a side note that him
and his wife challenged themselves to cook and eat each and every vegetable known
to mankind. I loved the idea the second I heard it.
At that moment, I vowed to commit to the same challenge for the rest
of my life. In other words, I married
vegetables that day.
My
quest began immediately. I started
making a list of the vegetables I already had a relationship with. Green beans, spinach, corn, broccoli,
cauliflower…the list went on. I thought
of close to a hundred and figured there must be hundreds more I haven’t tried. Sure enough, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
and Wikipedia gave me a few different counts in the 200-400 range. That’s a lot
of veggies and a lot of cooking – but nobody said a marriage would be easy,
right? I’d need to set some boundaries.
Rules of Engagement:
1.
Any vegetables that I have eaten, but NOT cooked myself, do not
count.
2.
All vegetables must be purchased raw/fresh (no canned, dried,
etc.).
3.
Veggies only available in areas of the world that I can’t travel
to, can be tried in the canned/dried form, if that’s the only way to get ahold
of them.
4.
I have my whole life to cook and try as many new types of
veggies as possible.
5.
I vow not to waste any of the vegetables I cook – even if I
don’t like them – I have to pawn them off on someone that does, or suck it up
and eat them.
Goals:
- Seriously increase my veggie vocabulary
- Create some fun memories in the kitchen with my fellow friends and “chefs”
- Add variety to my nutrient intake
- Try more types of vegetables than anyone I know (including the speaker at that lecture).
There
you have it folks, it’s official. Anyone
who has read this post is hereby witness to my lifelong commitment to
vegetables. It’s been three weeks since
the challenge commenced, and I’ve added three new varieties to my ongoing list:
artichoke, rutabaga, and beetroot. I ate
every last bit of all three (refer to Rule #5) and thoroughly enjoyed every
minute of it. My trips to the grocery
store in search of an unfamiliar root, leaf, or legume are quickly becoming the
highlight of my week - I’ve already decided on yucca root for my next veggie,
any recipe ideas?
I
challenge all brave individuals out there to join me on this journey. It’s going to be a long, fun, and tasty ride,
and not to mention, a little motivation to get you cookin’ in the kitchen. Make your own rules, set your own goals, and
dive into a lifelong contract with yourself and hundreds of vegetables – consider
them your better half!
“Learn
how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above
all have fun.” – Julia Child
Roasted
Rutabaga:
 |
| Keep your eyes peeled for raw rutabaga at the market! |
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Rinse, peel, and cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Toss the cubes in olive oil, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
- Spread evenly on a baking tray and roast for 45 minutes (until golden brown and soft).
- Chow down and add rutabaga to your list!
