You think I would have learned my lesson with bitter melon, but here I went again this week, serving the kids a raw vegetable that arguably tastes better cooked. We spent the majority of Spring and Summer eating raw fruits and vegetables, so maybe I just got a little too comfortable . And lazy. But it has to end, because I can’t justify serving them raw Kabocha or parsnips. And the last thing that I want to do is turn them off a wide set of veggies because of user error.
Like this gorgrous Romanesco, which, truth be told, doesn’t have the most pleasant smell or taste when eaten raw. Cooked, another story. Stay tuned on Monday when I’ll show you how I’ve been prepping my Romesco this week.
ME: Today, our mystery food is called……..Romanesco!
LAUREN: Ooooh.
ME: What does it look like?
SAM: It looks like a tree.
ME: It does!
LAUREN: It kind of looks like a little tree that has flowers. And it, like, feels kind of like broccoliish – like kind of smooth and hard. Because at the top it’s kind of smooth, but at the bottom it’s hard. And it really looks like plants are growing out the bottom.
ME: What a wonderful description, so many descriptions. Emma, what about you?
EMMA: It looks like a tree. It fell down in my bowl!
LAUREN: But why did she copy me?
ME: Because she probably liked your description so much and she wanted to copy you. OK, now it’s time to smell it.
EMMA: Me first!
ME: What does it smell like?
LAUREN: It smells like real flowers. But it smells a little lighter, not as much as flowers. At school I smell markers, and one of them smelled like cream, and another one smelled like trash, and a third smelled like a flower.
ME: So does this smell like the flower?
LAUREN: A little bit like the trash.
ME: So what does it taste like?
LAUREN: It tastes kind of spicy. A little bit bumpy.
SAM: It tastes gooey.
ME: We can eat these raw or cooked. What vegetable does this remind you of?
EMMA: Like a Mermaid of the Seaaaaaaa!!!
ME: What about cauliflower – does it look or taste like cauliflower?
LAUREN: I don’t know.
ME: Are you guys done with this? What do you think, you want me to cook it next time?
LAUREN: I don’t think so, I really didn’t like it.
ME: We’ll try it again. I happened to like it.
So that’s what it’s called. Love the trash comment.
She always surprises me with the funniest comments. And yes, that’s what it’s called. Not broccoli/cauliflower, which I’ve how I’d always referred to it 🙂