Green vegetables

As a digression from the main theme of this thread; yes, Catmama, there is a reason for brussels sprouts! They're mildly poisonous, as a result of evolving chemical defences against insect predators that would otherwise eat them - not enough to harm a human (unless you ate some vast quantity of them) but enough to activate the body's immune system. So eating them helps your body develop defences against more serious poisons, and the effects of some diseases. It's also claimed that they don't taste as bad as they used to - sprout producers have been breeding the bitterness out of them. Now go eat your greens!

myrkassi
My mother forced green vegetables on me ... broccoli! Blech! Vomit!

Now I'm almost 50, and I still can't stomach broccoli or Brussels sprouts, but goddammit, why, Mother, did you never try to feed me asparagus? That shit is delicious! Especially when sauteed with butter and garlic ...

RikSpanks - the asparagus is just kind of a green plate which justifies eating the butter and garlic. Unless you eat asparagus to make your pee smell more interesting.

I notice that so far all commenters have been men. I love all green veggies - always have, even as a kid. Weird! My sisters sure thought so and really didn't like me much at dinner time. I did not like a lot of root veggies. such as parsnips and turnips! Yuck.

I like Brussel Sprouts cooked soft and then butter and maple syrup topping them off. My green favs are, Kale, Spinach, Green Beans, and Collard Greens. All fresh by the way. Don't much care for Okra.

So as far as I can work out, RikSpanks is saying he hates broccoli because his mother force-fed them to him, and he wishes she'd fed him asparagus - presumably so he could hate them too. This reminds me of the Monty Python school sex education lesson with John Cleese and perhaps Pamela Stephenson apparently naked in the classroom, Cleese on top and explaining the sex act in some detail while the bored kids stare into space or at their desks or flick things at one another.

To return to green vegetables, I'm fine with them except Brussels sprouts. I like broccoli. I like broad beans a lot, kale, spinach...but none of them as much as yellow veg, the parsnip and the incomparable (if not overcooked) turnip. Oh, and shallots, leeks...aaaah.

I like most of them except slimy boiled okra. Yuck. Raw broccoli, either alone or mixed with cauliflower, makes a good snack. So do celery sticks. I only like baby Brussels sprouts, not the big ones; same with carrots (but, of course, they aren't green). Collard greens and mustard greens cooked together are delicious - better than either separately.

I've never cared for celery - it's always struck me as a drink of funny-tasting water held together by string.
That said, I think my, and possibly most people's childhood revulsion against green veg is that they were so badly cooked. Brussels sprouts lightly cooked and served with butter, or cheese sauce, and bacon lardons are ok - but for most of my life the only way it appeared that anyone knew how to cook sprouts (or most kinds of green veg) was to boil them until they went soggy.

As for carrots, they aren't green now, but who knows what colour they may turn in future? The orange-coloured carrot is relatively recent. Before that, carrots were purple, white, or even black!

Celery is supposed to be a great weight loss food because apparently you use more calories eating it that you actually get from consuming it.

My mother always gave us vegetables she grew in the garden and we never had issues with it. For Brussel sprouts, in particular, she has a family-favoured recipe where they are mixed with breadcrumbs, fried and served with side of potatoes and a fried egg -- delicious!