Primally neglected veggies...

[QUOTE=naiadknight;972719]It can be sweet, but it's actually fairly neutral. Tastes akin to an ever so slightly sweet zuke.[/QUOTE]

Thank you! I passed some by the other day, but I'll try some next time I shop. :)

On the topic of interesting greens, radish greens can add a lovely peppery taste to things.

I like parsnips to either complement or substitute for carrots. Also really enjoy collard greens, slow cooked with fatback.

Rutabaga/Swede! Baked, boiled and mashed, sliced thin and fried, cubed and roasted. Even more yummy with butter and freshly ground pepper!

Awesome thread! I have been having issues with veggies lately... I feel like all I eat is broccoli. I occasionally have zucchini and carrots, but that's really been the extent of my vegetable intake lately. Well, that and lettuce for salads. I think I am just going to go to the store and grab some veggies that look interesting and then challenge myself to cook something with it! More ideas please, lol ;)

[QUOTE=Jena;973006]Awesome thread! I have been having issues with veggies lately... I feel like all I eat is broccoli. I occasionally have zucchini and carrots, but that's really been the extent of my vegetable intake lately. Well, that and lettuce for salads. I think I am just going to go to the store and grab some veggies that look interesting and then challenge myself to cook something with it! More ideas please, lol ;)[/QUOTE]
Underutilized veggies for beginners:

Mustard green
Turnip greens
Radish green
Horseradish
Sauerkraut
Okra
Butternut squash (mash that crap like taters)
Seaweed
Kohlrabi
Celeriac
Red and green malabar spinach
Jimca

Just to name a few...

Brussels sprouts, zucchini, squash, eggplant, cauliflower, beets and spaghetti squash are all fairly ordinary vegetables. I thought the question was about the unusual, forgotten ones. I would say that mustard greens probably count for that. Rutabagas, perhaps, and maybe celery root, too. Definitely kholrabi is rarely spoken of around here.

I've been considering figuring out what to do with culinary lavender. Seems the guy at the farmer's market who sells bitter melon does a brisk business with those. I ought to try that some time.

Tomatillos are fun, too, but possibly not available much beyond Central and Southern America, and the Southern US. They're a relative of the gooseberry, but look like little green tomatos in green husks. They're tart and green tomato like. I love a lamb tomatillo stew, with turnips instead of potatos.

[QUOTE=sbhikes;973020]Brussels sprouts, zucchini, squash, eggplant, cauliflower, beets and spaghetti squash are all fairly ordinary vegetables. I thought the question was about the unusual, forgotten ones. I would say that mustard greens probably count for that. Rutabagas, perhaps, and maybe celery root, too. Definitely kholrabi is rarely spoken of around here.

I've been considering figuring out what to do with culinary lavender. Seems the guy at the farmer's market who sells bitter melon does a brisk business with those. I ought to try that some time.[/QUOTE]
Culinary lavender... If I had someone at my market here sold that, I'd give it a go!

Oh, and one of my caves in the brassica group! Bok choy! Had some tonight, and it was delish!

[QUOTE=JoanieL;972696]Eggplant. I make kind of an eggplant slop. Skin and cube the eggplant, toss it in an oiled pan. Cover 'til soft. Throw in some tomato paste and a little water. Stir some more. Over the top, toss in some small pieces of room temp mozzarella. Turn off the heat and cover to let the cheese melt. Looks like slop, tastes like a messy eggplant parmagiana. Spices: garlic in at the end, pepper, dried oregano or basil, or whatever you like.[/QUOTE]

I make an eggplant slop too! Useful when you don't want to bother with eggplant parmesan.

I bake eggplant when making something else, just poke a few holes and thrown in the oven whole. After it cools, scoop out and mix with a bit of olive oil, some garlic, tomato sauce, and mozzarella. It's NOT as good as eggplant parmesan, but SO much less work!