Most "underrated" vegetables?

HornedDemoN

HornedDemoN

Veteran
Joined
17 Mar 2015
Local time
5:19 AM
Messages
57
Location
Bulgaria
This probably depends on individual countries, because of different cultures and hence eating habits, but for me, I'd go with celery and broccolli. It's amazing but I've been alive for nearly 20 whole years and I only just recently discovered the pure awesomeness that is celery. Broccoli I assume is more popular in the rest of the world, but I hadn't tried it either until very recently. Needless to say, I'm a fan of both now. That one episode of The Powerpuff Girls where they fight the evil broccoli men must have been the reason I've stayed away from broccoli for so long...

I've always been curious about how things are, particularly in the US. I assume any vegetable you can think of is readily available out there, although I don't know if prices are reasonable. But what would you say is the most "underrated" vegetable?
 
lol I try not to judge veggies with cartoons. I'd be in a lot of trouble if I did. Beets. Beets are underrated even though Doug Funny would disagree. It's super difficult for me to find things to incorporate it into but when I do it never disappoints.
 
Butternut squash sweet , can be roasted , puréed ,used in soups just a great veg
 
Last edited:
Brussel sprouts are HUGELY underrated. Yes they taste crap when you don't know how to cook them, but if you just cut them up, toss with oil and salt and pepper, they'll be delicious roasted
 
I love salsify (said to taste like oysters- though I'm not sure about that). Its almost impossible to get it in the UK except on-line, bit I'm lucky enough to have a specialist grocery/deli shop nearby in Faversham where they do stock it. I can't imagine why its not more popular as I'm sure it can't be difficult to grow.

A more common underrated veg is the parsnip. In France they are almost never eaten as they are considered animal food. It has such a beautiful sweet yet musky flavour with the merest trace of anise. Parsnip puree with scallops perched in top - delicious. Or try parsnip and tarragon soup (it makes a change from curried parsnip soup).
 
HornedDemoN said:
It's amazing but I've been alive for nearly 20 whole years and I only just recently discovered the pure awesomeness that is celery.
Click to expand...
Yes, celery is delightful. Have you tried it cooked? I sometimes serve it cooked in a cheese sauce. If you can get celeriac, that has a similar taste (I think its actually the root of a type of celery). Celery, of course, is also delicious in soup.
 
morning glory said:
I love salsify (said to taste like oysters- though I'm not sure about that). Its almost impossible to get it in the UK except on-line, bit I'm lucky enough to have a specialist grocery/deli shop nearby in Faversham where they do stock it. I can't imagine why its not more popular as I'm sure it can't be difficult to grow.

A more common underrated veg is the parsnip. In France they are almost never eaten as they are considered animal food. It has such a beautiful sweet yet musky flavour with the merest trace of anise. Parsnip puree with scallops perched in top - delicious. Or try parsnip and tarragon soup (it makes a change from curried parsnip soup).
Click to expand...
parsnip is a really great vegetable ,for me there is nothing to say bad about it,sweet, earthy versatile veg,its the easiest veg and consistent to puree,they do get very woody the end of season
Sasify is a bit more acquired taste,a good depths of winter veg,i use it to make a rosti type dish and a tempura battered type dish,we get a purple salsify from the French markets,its a veg that i never call by its name,we call it the oyster plant or old mans fingers
 
queenbellevue said:
Brussel sprouts are HUGELY underrated. Yes they taste crap when you don't know how to cook them, but if you just cut them up, toss with oil and salt and pepper, they'll be delicious roasted
Click to expand...

Sprouts are wonderful and one thing to remember is that if you're boiling them, let the water start boiling before lobbing the sprouts in.

Maybe I'm getting to be a grumpy old man, but we seem to live in an age when many people don't like anything that actually tastes of something. Hence the bizarre 'taste' for freezing cold beer whereby all the flavour is frozen out. Perhaps if someone marketed flavourless sprouts, they would gain in popularity, though not with me.
 
The much maligned marrow is another vegetable with bad press. Personally I think its delicate and delicious (quite different from courgettes, which bore me slightly). I make marrow and monkfish curry which, apart from the satisfying alliteration, tastes magnificent. The marrow soaks up fishy flavours yet retains its delicacy. I part peel the skin of the marrow then chop into chunks, displaying the pretty striped skin.
 
Obviously I need to do some research, because I've never heard of some of these, and others I've heard of, but have never had. I think turnips and beets get a bad rap. I love them both, as well as eggplant. I like parsnips sometimes, but other times they're a bit perfumy for my taste.

I'm not sure what nettles are, although I've heard of them, and I've never heard of purple salsify. The only marrow I'm familiar with is inside of bones. :oops:
 
Marrow is sometimes called marrow squash in America. It looks like a giant courgette. Nettles are common or garden stinging nettles!
440px-Brennnessel_1.JPG
 
morning glory said:
Marrow is sometimes called marrow squash in America. It looks like a giant courgette. Nettles are common or garden stinging nettles!
View attachment 914
Click to expand...

Thanks, @morning glory I'm going to have to investigate them both. I've heard of nettles mainly I think in folk medicine. The plant in the picture looks familiar. Ugh, I saw some of the wild onions while I was out this morning, and meant to take a pic to post here.
 
Berties said:
Butternut squash sweet , can be roasted , puréed ,used in soups just a great veg
Click to expand...

I just got some butternut squash and I am considering baking a cake with some of it. A friend has been going on about his squash cake and I checked some recipes online and it does seem doable. I never thought about it before in my baking, me being a little green at the baking. I have made a vegetable pie that included butternut squash..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom