sneaky mom tricks

I got the kidlet to eat swiss chard last night. He ate his entire serving, which he rarely does with anything.  He didn't even ask what it was, which is the usual query when faced with dark green things.  The secret?  I sauteed it in lots of olive oil and garlic, and then I mixed it with the magic vegetable that every kid will eat: corn.  And some garbanzo beans. And a little cayenne.  I served it with some Copper River Sockeye that I baked with soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic.  No, he didn't finish all of that.  But I did.

I consider myself a master at getting people to eat and like veggies that they thought they hated. Kale, lima beans, brussels sprouts, let me at 'em and I'll have you gobbling them happily and asking for more.  Oil and garlic are always your friends in these situations.  So is something sweet to pair with your bitter greens, like carrots with kale. 

Finally I must wax rhapsodic about the fabu salad I had yesterday from Dahlia Bakery:  arugula, grilled asparagus, hard boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, walla walla sweets and asagio cheese.  Perfect combination of smoky, sweet, tangy, and bitter flavors.

Comments

[Karen]

I fear my kids would have you weeping in the corner after just a day or two. They don't even like olive oil or garlic. Garbanzo beans and cayenne? HA! Sigh. Good for kidlet, though!

[JimR]

At our house garlic and onions sauteing in olive oil is the magic base for almost everything. When anyone comes into the house, the first thing they say is, "Mmmm, that smells good."

I could be frying old shoe leather in olive oil, garlic and onions and I'd get the same response.

I'm beginning to experiment more with sesame oil and peanut oil with garlic and fresh ginger - this gives the veggies a more Asian flavor, especially if you cook them up and then simmer them for about 30-45 seconds in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and a bit of sugar. (this is a trick learned from our local CSA newsletter)

Yum!

[lisa]

sounds yummy! I usually leave the veggies in big chunks so that they can be picked out and given to someone who appreciates them...