"As we plant, so we harvest and eat."
-- Guru Granth Sahib
 |
| Broccoli 6-21-14 |
"The broccoli says 'I look like a small tree',
the mushroom says 'I look like an umbrella',
the walnut says 'I look like a brain',
and the cucumber says 'Can we please change the subject?'"
-- Unknown
Ding! Ding! Ding!
And the One Good Thing award for "Most Ambitious Young Veggie In The Patch" goes to (drum roll) --
Broccoli!!!
Wait, wait. Before you turn up your nose, let me say that home-grown broccoli is totally tastier than store-bought. I admit, broccoli can be pretty aggressive on a lot of fronts. But home-grown broccoli lightly steamed mere minutes from being picked from the backyard garden is a kinder, gentler, lovelier vegetable altogether.
Because it isn't bred to withstand long-distance truck travel, its flavor is more delicate, its texture is tenderer, and its -- let's say "digestive after-effects" -- are milder and more, well, demure.
Its florets are prettier and less dense. Its emerald color is more vibrant, before and after cooking. And the serving bowl is emptier after everyone digs in and eats every last tiny tree.
We enjoyed the first broccoli harvest from my little garden at supper last night along with some basil pesto pasta that I made with my fresh garden basil. I love cooking good fresh food for my family, but growing the good fresh food that I feed them is extra satisfying.
Everybody knows that eating veggies is good for you. But here's a little secret about growing the veggies yourself -- they're so healthy that they make you feel pretty darned good before they even hit your plate!
