I am feeling a bit royal these days as we fill our fridge with purple - the color of royalty. Our household missed last week's new veggie so we doubled up our new produce this week and happened to pick two purple veggies. This was quite noticeable as even our cashier asked if we were on a purple food spree. It's rare to find a truly purple food. I guess with the two items side by side it registered a comment. What are the two veggies? I am sure you have tried both these veggies but possibly not the purple varieties - cauliflower and bell pepper. Both delicious! and Attractive!
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| So PRETTY! |
Both of these veggies are similar to their rainbowed friends. So if you are looking to add a splash of color in a veggie tray - these are beautiful choices. I don't know if I should admit this but the purple cauliflower was my muse for photography as I captured thirteen pictures (I know - crazy! but kind of fun!) and those were my keeper pictures as I deleted quite a few. The purple is kind of intense. I did sample the cauliflower raw. I am not a huge cauliflower fan in the raw state - steam it, mash it, melt cheese and I am a happy camper. (My mom used to make the best cheese sauce for cauliflower when I was growing up). I sort of like the texture as the florets have a crunch with give but the aftertaste just gags me. The purple variety has a mild flavor where you can feel the texture more than the flavor but still had that afterbite. We did what we tend to do with a whole head of cauliflower - quick boil until tender and then a good ol' mashing. When we boiled the cauliflower it turned the water almost an intense purple - it reminded me of an old Kool-Aid flavor I enjoyed - Purple Saurus rex I think - ah the memories :) I wish I could have thought of a good use for the water - it seemed such a waste to toss out the prettily interesting liquid. The mash isn't quite as pretty but my toddler son was a huge fan of the purple mash. It made him giggle. But then most things do :)
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| Look at this regal pepper! |
Unto the purple bell pepper. I enjoy a good bell pepper. I remember teasing a youth about her taste for red bell peppers. I let her and her sister pick their favorite fruit or veggie. She picked red bell peppers. At this time the only pepper I had tried was potently bitter green peppers. (I think peppers are special to me because I can't think of green peppers without thinking of my dad. He would grow them in his backyard garden. And there were few things he dislikes eating but when as a family my mom would pick a family favorite that my dad just wasn't a fan she would make him these hideous stuffed green peppers. At least that's how I felt about them growing up - now it sounds like a tasty supper option :) Back to this youth chose the red bell pepper. I asked her what she was going to do with the pepper. She responded like a teenager does - eat it with that questioning duh kind of stare. Umm thanks what I meant is HOW are you going to eat it. Slice it up and chew. Huh. Really? Because I equate peppers as adult food and something you dice up for a recipe. But just to eat the slices befuddled my nineteen year old mind. My veggie intake revolved around the almight potato and corn for some color. And sadly I was not eating red meat or pork at this time. I had many many meals over that time span of five years that were just fries or mashed potatoes. And I wonder why I have trouble with my blood sugar. Well fast forward to now and I love bell peppers. I am still not a huge fan of the green bell pepper. But red, orange, yellow are always welcomed in my fridge and we tend to at least have one or two in the crisper. To any dish they can add color, a little sweetness, and just a little kick, plus they are incredibly versatile for me as I eat them raw or cooked. Well the purple can also be added to the mix. Although they seem pretty rare and tend to cost a little more than their buddies. I also would say the purple bell pepper (try to say that three times quickly!) is the closest in flavor to the green bell pepper. It doesn't quite have the sweetness and had a tish more kick than the brighter peppers. But we ate it sliced up in our big dinner salad Saturday night and I finished up the rest of the slices for lunch. So definitely tasty!
You may have noticed that both veggies brought back some cozy memories. Thats what happens with food we romanticize and capture sweet memories. It isn't the food that we crave for comfort - its what memories it carries. We make memories around the dinner table with conversations, occasionally arguments, and we also make them in the kitchen as we share about our day and pass on traditions of our family and our culture. I love to share in my husband's pride for New Orleans and the flavors and aromas that bring that twinkle in his eye of remembrance. I like to think that there are veggies that remind me of my dad instantly - not just bell peppers but also spinach (because he hates it!) and radishes because he makes sandwiches out of just radishes. I like to think of my mom taking the time to cook my favorite cheese sauce because she wanted to make me smile. I remember we used to have this bear little figurine that either read you're a superstar or you're special on a star shaped mirror. That would appear now and then as a congratulations to a job well done or a happy birthday.
There's a lot to be said about the dinner table movement. Don't lose your family to schedules. Remember to take that time to discuss your day and share in each other's lives. Its hard to turn off the television ban telephones and sit face to face it what has become an electronic world. But do you want your children's memories to be electronic based or the aromas and flavors and laughter filled memories of sitting around the table and really sharing your lives by breaking bread? So yes after our purple cauliflower and purple bell pepper I am feeling a bit royal as I remember how my parents allowed me to feel like a princess and now how my hubby and son treat me feel like a queen.
May your HealthFULL journey show you the blessings of living like royalty. Cherish your treasures of love, friendship, joy, blessings, adventure, and time. 'Til we meet again. . .
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