Vegetable Adventures

I did not grow up a huge vegetable fan. It took years of home canned green beans to convert me to eating them willingly. (Thank you grandma!) I considered myself healthy because I ate corn, potatoes, and tomatoes willingly. (Yes someone has informed me that those are starches and fruits.)

It appears my lifelong avoidance of vegetables needed to be changed because I was sent to a foreign country and expected to eat what they ate. Anyone who has visited Japan knows that they love three things. Fish, vegetables, and rice. (No wonder they are all so skinny.)  I did not like fish or vegetables. But I knew that vegetables and rice were a lot easier for me to swallow.

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I started trying new vegetables and I became converted. I fell in love with spinach, bell pepper, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, peas, and brocoli. I only tolerated eggplant, asparagus, and artichokes. I became a veggie lover. Some of my family still can't believe it.

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I'm still on the beginning end of this spectrum. I am learning how to eat vegetables. I generally like them cooked with some sort of seasoning. My husband is more hard core and can eat things raw. This last week I took a giant step in my vegetable preparation and consumption. I made pesto. Not only that, I ate it. I was so proud of myself.

I even added it to another recipe intended to increase my vegetable and fruit consumption. Delicious homemade tomato and red pepper soup. It is delicious! And it made a giant batch so I was able to free some to break out on a lazy day. Points! This soup is perfect with grilled cheese or with added whole grain pasta. I highly recommend you try it out. But be aware it is A LOT of work.