Hello Beautiful!

It looks like you're new to The Community. If you'd like to get involved, click one of these buttons!

In this Discussion

Vegetable preparation

Just curious.. how on earth do you eat a brussel sprout raw? or asparagus? or fresh corn? I love corn and asparagus but I've only ever consumed it after being cooked... not quite sure how to eat it without boiling the corn or frying the asparagus. Any suggestions? Thanks! :)

Comments

  • Raw CurlsRaw Curls Raw Newbie

    Corn is very palatable raw, you can eat it right off the cob, as long as it's freshly picked it has a very sweet milky flavor to it. The longer you wait, the starchier it gets, so eat it as soon as picked.

    I might eat tender asparagus but brussels sprouts are pretty hard. I don't eat things that are bitter or unpalatable raw. Such as broccoli, cauliflower, certain hardy greens - if they taste better cooked or drenched with fat and spices, I don't consider that they are meant to be eaten in a raw state.

    That said, try eating more palatable fresh foods such as fruits, mild greens, etc. Yes, you can manipulate certain foods by dousing with fats and spices, or soaking and dehydrating, which sort of defeats the purpose of eating them fresh, you may as well have steamed it - would have been healthier to eat in the long run.

  • I love fresh sweet corn raw. Try it in a salad..it adds great texture and flavor. Asparagus.. not so much.

  • I like asparagus fresh and raw so long as it is young, thin, and tender, but I also like to put asparagus in the dehydrator with a little oil and garlic and let it soften a little before eating it.

    And no, I don't consider something warmed in a 105 degree dehydrator equivalent to something steamed at 200+ degrees.

    Broccoli and cauliflower I find delightful just as they come in their natural state.

    Fresh, raw corn is also delicious as is.

    On another note, I have never even heard of fried asparagus!

  • thanks for the tips! Sadly, fresh corn is not available in Ohio during the winter months :( guess I'll have to wait till summer to try.

  • Blue_EyesBlue_Eyes Raw Master

    I used to hate brussel sprouts before when I was eating sad. Now I LOVE THEM!! i just eat them as is, same with asparagus and corn or tho there is a great corn chowder on this site (i think i saw it here).

    Living in a semi now with my husband and we have a refrigerator and a cooler so we pack them full of fresh fruits and vegies. I try to get what I can that is organic and then the rest regular.

    fortunately I have my food processor and blender with me (not so easy to clean but worth it)

    I take the vegies I have a hard time with flavor wise like broccoli and califlower and mix them in the food processor with some red pepper, celery and what ever else I have on hand with some fresh squeezed lemon and by mixing them makes a great meal and i can just forget I dont like them.

  • blueyzblueyz Raw Newbie

    I found out this past summer that I LOVE corn and in fact it tastes so much better raw(and my GI does better with raw) than cooked corn. Sure I might love 1 piece cooked on the grill in the summer, but that usually does it and the rest I prefer raw. I will only buy it local and seasonally though, I wouldn't trust what's in the store for raw.

    Asaragus I have had at a potuck raw. He prepared in a marinade all day and it was great!! I'm not sure what the recipe was, tasted like a general olive oil/vinegar and italian type spice. Brussel sprouts I haven' tried yet.

  • daniefondaniefon Raw Newbie

    I just made marinated brussel sprouts for Thanksgiving. I shredded them in the food processor using the slicing blade. Then I made a cumin vinegarette with olive oii, orange juice, cumin, apple cider vinegar, agave, salt and pepper. They were pretty tasty, the strongly flavored dressing pairs well with the strong flavor of the brussel sprouts. I think you could substitue ginger for the cumin and get something good too. I also make soup with them. I shred them the same way. Then I make a creamy base using sunflower seeds or cashews and water with salt and pepper. I take some of them and blend them into the cream base and then mix some in shredded. You can add a little bit of lemon juice if you like. I keep it pretty simple because I like to taste the brussels.

  • 1sweetpea1sweetpea Raw Newbie

    This is probably a recipe more geared for spring, but I pulled this from an Eating Well magazine (May/June 2008, p86). As is, it's damn close to being 100% raw. My additions and comments are in brackets. It is called "Green Salad with Asparagus & Peas". The ingredients are: 2 tsp freshly grated lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp sweetener (sugar was listed, but honey, agave or yacon syrup would work, or possibly a much smaller amount of stevia),1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, 2 heads Boston or Bibb lettuce torn in bite-size pieces (or anything mild in flavour), 2 cups (1 bunch) very thinly sliced fresh asparagus (use really thin spears and snap bottoms off to avoid woody ends), 2 cups shelled fresh peas (3 pounds unshelled) 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved, 2 TB minced chives or scallion greens. Mix dressing ingredients. Toss salad ingredients with dressing. Chill and serve.

    In my opinion, I think this salad could handle some fresh dill OR tarragon, to give it some herbal notes. This salad is meant to be a simple side to a hearty Danish meal which includes pickled items, but I'd happily chow this as a main, which is why I think additional herbs would be nice. Herbs will turn this basic salad into a headliner dish.

    As for Brussels sprouts, I have no experience. However, if each sprout was separated into individual leaves, then marinated for a while (maybe even dehydrated to soften slightly, it could work). Brussels sprouts are traditionally done with a cured meat, such as bacon or ham. An interesting pairing might be something salty and cured, like raw, oil cured olives or a minced umeboshi plum. I'd also use a bit more oil in the marinade (I'm usually very light on added fats), just to help get the mouth feel of braised or roasted sprouts with fatty pork products or butter. If someone tries this, let me know.

    On to corn. I've made a simple corn chowder that was killer. I can't recall the details at the moment, but it included lots of green onions, cumin, garlic and coconut water. I warmed it in my dehydrator. I also modified a recipe from Matt Amsden's "Rawvolution" cookbook for a corn salad (that includes hot Madras curry powder and young coconut). My adjustments were to eliminate his sweetener (the corn was plenty sweet), eliminate the salt completely (since my Madras curry powder contains salt -- too much IMO), and take the fat way down (Matt Amsden's a bone rack, I'm not. I have trouble with fatty dishes, so I reduce the fat content in virtually every recipe I come across). Both corn dishes were served to carnivores, who loved them. You can't go wrong with Canadian sweet peaches and cream corn (when it's in season).

  • SuasoriaSuasoria Raw Newbie

    Ditto corn - very good raw. Better, I think.

    Asparagus I slice fairly thin and toss in salads, pastas, etc. I only go for the thin, tender ones as HolyGuac mentions.

    Brussel sprouts - we tend not to eat it, I don't know why.

    We love raw cauliflower and broccoli - especially with mock cheese sauce.

  • waterbaby12347waterbaby12347 Raw Newbie

    I too agree with holyguac...

    I cut up asparagus into my salads... Or marinade it in lemon, garlic, evoo or hemp or flax, simply wonderful either way...

    Brussel sprouts are basically little cabbages and if you like broccoli &/or cauliflower, you will enjoy them in the same ways...

Sign In or Register to comment.