The Veggie Life

As I am surfing the net I encountered this veggie poem. It’s great to share it with you.

The Veggie Life
by Michael Steffen

Cabbages, beans and bell peppers vie
for the glossy centerfold of Nature’s Hand

where this month the vulgar Hubbard squash
reclines with succotash of questionable origin.

I’ve grown to prize passivity; I’ve learned the word
“vegetable” comes from Medieval Latin—

vegetabilis, and vegetare which means “to animate, to grow,”
though I can think of half a dozen ways to squander

an afternoon as Destry Rides Again, Dietrich and Stewart…
and my doctor friend Lenny who calls to tell me

that broccoli has a nervous system, that it suffers
when you pick it. If form follows function,

it stands to reason that pain is the fate of all “brainy” things—
cauliflower, coral and raspberry clumps, the florets that sizzle

in my spiced tahini. I’ve heard potatoes
described as “thuggy and plotless,” but never “aristocratic”

as it says on page seven’s “The Stately Spud,”
where tubers possess an enviable pedigree,

popular back to 4000 b.c. when Incas made urns
in the shape of russets—

long reds, round reds and Yukon Golds,
best for sautéing, excellent in frittatas.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for ambition,
but some days I’d rather steep in my own kettle.

Give me chamomile, cowboys, cornelian cherries.
Let me sink, once again, into purposeless sleep.

from http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=30180

Squash tips

Buying Tips

* Organic squash tastes better and is worth the effort and expense required to find and buy it.

* Butternut squash is richest when its color is darkest orange. More color = more flavor.

* Buttercup squash tastes good ugly. Look for exteriors covered with gnarly bumps and growths.

Alter-grain Serving Tips

* Pasta: Spaghetti squash makes an awesome pasta substitute. And it’s so easy to bake a whole squash, cut in half and placed facedown on a parchment lined baking sheet in a 400º oven for an hour or so. This recipe is delicious as is or even with a ladle of marinara.

* Fries: Cut squash (we recommend Butternut or Buttercup) into strips or wedges. Coat with olive oil and your favorite seasonings, including a dash of sea salt. Bake at 400º F until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.

* Rice: Well, sort of. The point is you can serve your favorite stir fry, sauce, or stew over a bed of baked squash instead of rice for a flavorful change of pace. To bake squash, just cut it in half and bake in oven facedown for 30-45 minutes on 400º F.

from planet green

Happy weekend!