Vegitas- The truth about vegetables

So I think if you asked anyone in America what they needed to do to be

healthier, they would say, “eat more fruits and vegetables.”  Not rocket science right?

But as many of you produce department cruisers have found, this is much easier

said than done, especially when it comes to the veggies.

Sure, there are some vegetables that taste good raw.  Carrots, celery,

tomatoes and lettuce if you’re going to make a sandwich (though I think tomatoes

are a fruit…) ummm, did I say carrots already?  I guess cucumbers taste OK…

Despite celebrities like Alicia Silverstone toting the values of a raw diet and all those

cleanses that require a $150 juicer to make, the reality is that for a lot of vegetables,

if you’re going to eat them raw you might as well go ahead and eat a handful of

grass.  What in the world am I supposed to do with this bag of Brussels sprouts? 

And what potential taste-good mysteries are concealed inside that acorn squash?

But fortunately, for many vegetables, there is one secret weapon, an easy

culinary code to bring out the taste they were born to have, elevating them from

easier to chew cardboard into healthy taste bud bliss.  And all you need is a cookie

sheet, and oven, olive oil and some salt. 

• Step 1: preheat your oven to somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 degrees.

I usually go with 425, but I think anywhere between 400-450 will do the trick.

• Step 2: Prepare your veggies.  Wash them, and then cut them up.  For

broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini and any sort of potato, go with bite sized pieces.  For

asparagus, break off the bottom (fatter) end.  For bigger squash, you can either cut

them in half and lay them face up on the cookie sheet, or remove the rind and cube

them.  For Brussels sprouts, cut off the end, cut in half and lay face down.

• Step 3: place on cookie sheet and coat with a thin layer of olive oil and some

salt.  Don’t be afraid to use your hands to rub that olive oil in.

• Step 4: Put it in the oven.  It’s done when you can easily put a fork into the

veggie and it’s soft  (for smaller things, like broccoli and squash cubes, this can take

between 12-15 minutes).  If you want crispy veggies, leave it in until you see it start

to brown.

• Step 5:  Let it cool down so it doesn’t burn your mouth, and then enjoy

vegetables like you’ve never seen them before!