Jan Pierce, M. Ed.
We all know we’re supposed to feed our families at least
five servings of veggies each day. But if you’re like most folks, you get stuck
on just a few of the most common vegetables and they begin to be boring on your
plate.
Let’s find a fun way to spice up your dinner plates with
something other than peas and green beans. And treat your family to a fun
challenge as you go.
Here are eight vegetables you may never have tried. Spice up
your salads, soups, and vegetable side-dishes with some of these. Keep a chart
with points for tasting, eating an entire serving and maybe a bonus point for
thinking of a new way to eat the strange, new veggie. Think of a fun family
reward when you reach a certain number of points or when you’ve tried all the
veggies on your list. Movie night? Pizza? Whatever appeals to your family can
be the pay-off.
READ MORE: How to economize on groceries
Here are some little-known vegetables. You may find more
that are new to your family at the local produce market.
Guar: Guar is a
legume. It is also known as Cluster Bean. Both pods and seeds are eaten and are
high in protein. Guar is grown as a soil-improving plant as well as for food.
Cook in water until tender and then sauté.
Spider Plant:
Also known as African cabbage, this green leafy vegetable is eaten like
spinach. It is usually considered a weed. Leaves, stems, pods and flowers may
be boiled or fried in a bit of oil. Addition of a bit of milk reduces
bitterness.
Chicories: The
chicory family includes radicchio, endive, frisee and escarole. All of these
are varieties of the chicory and range from bitter to mild. They are greens
eaten most often in salads.
Fava and Pea Tops:
The trimmed uppermost tendrils of the fava and pea plants are edible. Chop them
and sauté for one to two minutes.
Celeriac: This is
a type of the celery plant, but only the root is eaten. Peel and slice the root
into thin slices or boil and mash. This veggie is rich in vitamins B6 and C and
minerals such as potassium and phosphorus.
Sorrel: This
resembles spinach. It has a sour lemon taste and is used pureed in soups or in
sauces for fish and is used in Vietnamese dishes.
Kohlrabi:
Kohlrabi is known as a cabbage-turnip. It grows above ground and is eaten like
a turnip. It can be boiled, steamed or microwaved whole. The leaves are also
edible.
Witloof: Meaning
white leaf in Dutch, Witloof is a creamy-white leaf vegetable. It has a nutty
flavor. It is sometimes called Belgium endive.
Are you ready for the challenge? Here is a list of other
seldom-heard-of veggies to add to the fun. Hunt them down, figure out how to
eat them and enjoy the challenge.
Dudhi, long beans, karela, dragon fruit, jicama, garlic
scapes, Mexican gherkins, jackfruit, durian, loofah, lychee radicchio, sea
beans and garlic scapes.
Join the great vegetable challenge!
Jan
Pierce, M.Ed., is a retired teacher and writer specializing in education,
parenting and family life. She is the author of "Homegrown Readers" and "Homegrown
Family Fun". Find Jan at www.janpierce.net.
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