Produce Prodigy

THIS, I am not. But i’m trying, so that’s worth something I hope.

I just began a new produce delivery service. I did this not because I know what to do with unpackaged, unprepared, unfrozen food. I did it in the hopes a giant box of plants would inspire me to be smarter with my culinary choices. I’m really doing it for my kids. They are on the cusp of either totally accepting veggies and fruit, or completely forgetting what actual food is supposed to look like. .. you know, in it’s original form.

I used to watch Jaimie Oliver on his show where he would infiltrate people’s lives and wave his tongs and completely turn their lives and cupboards around. One show had him tackling the L.A. Unified School District. He would ask the kids in kindergarten and first grade what certain foods were (and hold them up) and they could not identify 95% of what he had. I always feared that would be my child.

So with the aid of someone bringing the box of produce to my door and Pinterest helping me figure out what the hell to do with it all, I have begun my quest to a healthier lifestyle… or at the very least, dinner.

My first recipe and challenge was an Eggplant.

I decided anything fried would be good, but opted to bake it instead:

Baked Eggplant

I dusted off pans I didn’t know existed to batter and coat this thing. I sliced, dipped, and coated this eggplant. I baked this eggplant. I was the only who ate this eggplant.

After all that work, I was slightly horrified to see that it is included in my next delivery. Time to find a hidden veggie recipe for this one!