Stop Boiling the Vegetables!

Every once in a while, Andrew and I pick up new books at a library sale (back home in Ohio, our local library would sell excess books by the paper bag. Whatever you could fit into it was $5. Pretty good deal!) The last time we went, we picked up a handful of cookbooks. I love thumbing through them to get new ideas for meals.

We use tons of vegetables (meat is kind of a once-a-week sort of thing in our house) so I was excited about this classy-looking book from 1970. As I was reading, however, I started noticing something...

Hmmm. There seems to be a pattern. And a pattern that I'm quite familiar with, not very happily.

I have worked in a few different kitchens that served food to lots of kids. And the stereotype that kids hate vegetables? Well, its a stereotype for a reason. Whatever good intentions put that frozen-then-boiled assortment of carrot bits, green bean chunks, and corn nubs on the kids’ plates, I guarantee that I was toting 80% to the dumpsters by the end of each meal. And frankly, as much as I was rankled by the heaps of uncomposted waste that these dinners generated, I couldn’t completely write the kids off as just ungrateful little beasts.

Everyone: even though boiling is the most common way to prepare veggies, for the love of all that is tasty and nutritious, ITS TIME TO STOP. Save the boiling pot for tea or pasta, and give your poor vegetables a chance.

Because let’s be honest: Boiling most vegetables is probably one of the worst things you can do to them. Even the brightest, crispest, most fresh broccoli becomes a gray, mushy shadow of its former self after being boiled to oblivion. And if that was the only way I knew vegetables, I’d probably hate them too! Not only do all the potential flavors and textures go up in steam, much of the nutritional content gets left behind or destroyed in all that hot water, especially if you dump it after cooking.

And especially If you are putting in the time to grow, tend, and harvest your own vegetables, It should be a homesteading crime to let any of them come near to a boiling pot. I know it’s really easy. I know you’re busy. I know that cooking shows make it seem like you need to be a trained chef to do anything beyond a PB and J sandwich. But happily, there are plenty of really good, easy ways to keep the flavor and, just as importantly, the nutrients in your veggies. You just need to add some new techniques in your toolbelt!

Try some of these on for size, and just see if your vegetables start to shine with flavor in gratitude. For most of these ideas, you need minimal cooking experience--if you can use a knife, turn on an oven, or handle a skillet on the stove, you’ve got all you need.

Caramelized in Cast Iron

My favorite sort of lunch...caramelized veggies, good cheese, homemade naan, and olives.

If you don’t have any cast iron cookware, you need to go get some cast iron cookware. Immediately. And if getting it new is too expensive, you can find cast-iron in any antique store or thrift store--quite a few of our pans have been found that way! My well-seasoned cast-iron skillet is like a second hand in my kitchen, and when it comes to cooking vegetables, it is invaluable. Try this: Heat your skillet to high heat and add some coconut/olive/peanut oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add your vegetable of choice and allow it to caramelize. This means, you DON’T touch it until you see a nice little ring of char on the outer edge. When the natural sugars are allowed to reach this point, the flavors are incredibly nuanced, smoky, and totally unique. Then, topped with a drizzle of good olive oil, a crack of sea salt, and fresh ground pepper? Amazing. Try it with onion, tomato, slices of chayote, or zucchini!

Roasted

Root vegetables and squash love being roasted. Slice into quarters, toss with some oil, salt, pepper, and spices (if desired), and throw into your oven at 400 degrees for at least half an hour (or until nicely browned on the edges.) You may want to give the pan a little shake-a-shake halfway through to make sure everything cooks evenly. I love to do this with beets, turnips, carrots, potatoes, and ESPECIALLY brussel sprouts. If you think brussel sprouts are gross, you’ve never had them roasted!

Stir-Fried

If you’re up for getting a new pan (after making sure you have some cast iron, of course) consider getting a wok! These high-sided pans hold up really well to high heat, can hold a ton of vegetables, and are perfect for stir-frying. Slice your vegetables into thin, uniform shapes, add some coconut or peanut oil, heat on the highest heat your stovetop can hande, and cook while stiring (“stir-frying” isn’t quite rocket science). Veggies cook up really fast this way--and they come out hot, slightly “al-dente,” and intensely flavorful when seasoned just right.

Raw with good oil, vinegar, and spices

I’m not talking about Cobb salads here--lots of vegetables are amazing when given minimal treatment. Have you ever tried tabbouleh? Israeli Salad? Caprese Salad? Sometimes, all it takes is some fresh herbs and good olive oil to make something absolutely delicious. Many cuisines from around the world have mastered good combinations--its worth it to check out a cookbook or two and get some ideas!

Spring Rolls

Have you ever tried making your own spring rolls? It’s surprisingly easy and fun way to eat some of your garden-fresh produce (and I guarantee kids would love designing their own colorful rolls). Any asian market should have these stocked; I like using this brand. Slice your vegetables as thin as you can, and lay them on top of the prepared spring roll skin. Add some rice noodles (we sometimes cheat and use whole-grain spaghetti) or slivered omelette, roll up, and dip in a spicy peanut sauce, and you are in for a treat!

In the heat of the summer, Spring rolls are our favorite dinner. A combo that's always been a winner is slivered carrots, celery, pan-fried tofu, whole-wheat noodles, chives and cilantro. Andrew likes to make a spicy peanut dipping sauce (peanut butter, soy sauce, black vinegar, hot chili oil), and I like to make a ponzu sauce (soy sauce, dash of sugar, lime juice, and a little water).

Fermented

We used to write for Fermentools--check out their blog and you’ll find more tried-and-true fermenting recipes than you can shake a stick at. If you’re new to fermenting, it may seem a little scary, but it is completely worth it. You’ve never really tasted sauerkraut until you’ve had your own homemade sauerkraut. Not only are vegetables transformed in a delicious way, they come loaded with beneficial probiotics. Your gut and your tastebuds will thank you!

Pickled

Pickling isn’t just for pickles. Try making refrigerator pickles with carrots, celery, beans, cauliflower, okra, or whatever your garden throws at you. Crisp, with a fantastic vinegar bite, and the crunch that keeps you sneaking down the stairs at midnight just to get one more pickle. Everyone does that, right?

...Right?

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This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but I hope it does get you started if you’ve never experimented with your vegetables beyond the stock pot. What other ideas do you have to give vegetables the royal treatment?