Veggin’ Out

(A repost for those who missed the original @ The Scoop on Poop.)

 Well first off, I like to think of myself as more of a dessert: something to look forward to, treasure and savor.  Like a meticulously stacked parfait or a delicately molded truffle. 

Now you can quit laughing and I’ll quit living in that fantasy world where I sit upon a pedestal and grant pleasant wants and wishes to all my loyal subjects.  As of this Friday I believe I must give up all delusions of that throne. Come Monday bachelorettes and daydreaming house wives the world over will weep.

 So back to the produce isle…

I would love to tell you I’m most like the Asparagus, long and sleek with a perfectly arranged head of leaves like a perfect hair style of curls.  A vegetable respected by all and often paired with the choicest entrees and arranged with great care upon fine china. 

 But I suppose I better resemble a Turnip; round in the middle with lovely purple striations around the center, a bushy chaos of sorts on top, and dwelling in the rough and rowdy dirt of life with my 4 men.  You know that vegetable cooked with too much bacon fat and often served along-side ordinary sides like peas and cornbread and all too often served on a Dixie plate.  A vegetable often misunderstood and pushed away by children, but good for the heart and soul none-the-less. 

Yup. Thats me.  A Turnip Green parading around pretending to be an asparagus. 

But now that I’ve thought about it I realize, as a Southern woman, Turnip Greens make it to more happy family tables than do asparagus.  Tables surrounded by large families and friends laughing, sharing, celebrating, or just feeding the soul.  And many of those folks round those tables would argue that you can’t have Thanksgiving or Easter dinner without the Greens.  

Guess that makes me pretty important, huh?  I know at least 3 little veggie niblets who would agree.