There ain’t nothing better than a mess o’ ham hocks and collard greens

“There ain’t nothing better than a mess o’ ham hocks and collard greens” True Southerners

Collards are not for stuffed shirts...but many folks lose their heads over them. This member of the wild cabbage family Brassica oleracea is of the cultivar group acephala – Greek for headless, meaning this group does not for the tight ball or head of leaves that many of its cousins do. The species most likely originated in the Mediterranean and because they are so hearty and hard to kill, migrated out ward in all direction from there: into the British Isles by the 4th century B.C., out into Africa and to the New World in North and South America with the slave trade as collards fell out of fashion with nobility, they became fodder for the poor, the enslaved and the animals. But fortunately, much of the best cuisine has arisen from necessity. The lowland Scots have done wondrous things with potherbs and cornmeal cakes to stretch mutton and fowl through lean times; they are the standard side dish with the Portuguese/Brazilian Feijoada, a rich, slow-cooked stew of beans and all things pork; my experience is in the southeastern U.S., where the collards and other greens are transformed by slow simmering in “potlikker”, which was originally a stock, or liquor, from meat bones and scraps boiled down to become soft enough to become edible which created a flavor so rich that anything remotely edible was added to the pot to stretch the meal, especially things that the masters deemed unfit to eat, like weedy tough greens. This slow cooking actually makes the collards more nutritious, unlocking nutrients from the tough cellulose of the plant.
The idiot who invented instant grits also thought of frozen fried chicken, and they ought to lock him up before he tries to freeze-dry collards. Lewis Grizzard

Festivals:
http://www.epa.net/collardgreens/ East Palo Alto Ca. July

http://www.visitportwentworth.com/events-collard-greens.php Monteith, Port Wentworth, Ga. March

http://www.macarnold.com/collard_fest.html Cornbread& Collards Blues Festival Asheville, NC Greenville, Anderson, SC

Broccoli, broccoli, wherefore art thou broccoli?

"Mother: It's broccoli, dear. ---
Child: I say it's spinach, and I say the hell with it." James Thurber

Broccoli, broccoli, wherefore art thou broccoli? This cousin of the cabbage first came into popularity in the Roman Empire, probably brought back from campaigns to Asia Minor in the last few centuries B.C. and has been embraced and disdained the world over ever since: it once killed Homer Simpson; George H.W. Bush doesn’t like it, Newman calls it a “vile weed”; it was purportedly invented by Bond producer “Cubby” Broccoli; possibly cures cancer, but the secret’s not really out yet. Some things are known to be true about it: the name comes from brachium, which means arm. The stalks arise from cabbages that have gone to flower and the florets are harvested before they bloom. The most popular variety is the Calabrese, said to have been developed in the Calabria region of Italy; this popularity has recently mushroomed - it’s U.S. consumption has grown nearly 1000% in the last 30 years! It is high in vitamin C, fiber and contains an anti-cancer compound called sulforaphane which is found in many cabbage cousin cruciferous vegetables. It is also a fantastic source of vitamin K, which aids in healthy blood cell production and cardiovascular vitality. This crown of crudités prefers mild climates and wilts in hot summers, doing exceedingly well in southern California. Try one of its relatives, rapini or broccoli raab, which combine characteristics for broccoli heads and mustard leaves in the same plant. The popular broccolini is an hybrid of gai-lon, sort of an Asian version of rapini.

Newman, you wouldn't eat broccoli if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce! Jerry Seinfeld

Festivals:Greenfield Harvest Festival - http://www.ci.greenfield.ca.us/index.aspx?recordid=136&page=16

The root of all roots...

There are some oligarchs that make me want to bite them just as one crunches into a carrot or a radish. Evita Peron

Their name comes from the Latin radix means root, so the radish is obviously the root of all roots. Radishes are taproots as are carrots, turnips, beets, dandelions, parsnips and many trees; both the root and the greens are edible. They are members of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages and other hearty stemmed leafy greens that grow above the ground. Taproots have been domesticated in the Mediterranean since pre-Roman times - the ancient Egyptians used radish seed oil before olive oil was known - and can be found wild throughout Asia and Europe. The Spanish first brought radishes to Mexico in the 16th century. In Oaxaca, Mexico, Christmas Eve is also the Night of the Radishes, when large radishes are cut into animal shapes; the festival begins on December 23 in the city of Zocalo. In Japan, in December there are radish festivals; in April, the radish is carved to symbolize another festival.
Varieties of radishes can mature within a month of planting, so successive plantings can help maintain months of harvests. The main growing seasons range from April to October in the Northern Hemisphere, but many types store through the winter very well and are known as winter varieties, such as the black and icicle radishes. The pale pigmented Daikon, which has grown over 5 feet long and a foot in diameter, has more acreage planted in Japan than any other crop and is very popular when the size of a large Cuban cigar. There are many colors available: white, pink, red, purple, black, speckled and multi-colored rainbow varieties. Excellent sources of vitamin C and potassium, they also are low in calories and high in fiber.

What do I know of man's destiny? I could tell you more about radishes. Samuel Beckett

Festivals:
http://www.aboutoaxaca.com/oaxaca/night-radishes.asp

Are you casting asparagus on my cooking?

Are you casting asparagus on my cooking? Curly Howard

The asparagus is a member of the lily family, first cultivated in the Mediterranean and Asia Minor around 3000 years ago. In Rome for the Caesars, it was frozen in the Tiberian Alps and run by chariot to be served at the feast of Epicurus. The ancients prized it for its unique flavor, supple texture and medicinal qualities: it is especially useful as a diuretic for kidney and bladder health, as well as strengthening capillary walls to improve heart health. Its importance to cuisine began as far back as Alexander the Great; the Persian word asparag means sprout or shoot. By the time of Cato it was cultivated profitably; Roman emperors had slaves running ice from the mountains to keep it chilled then load it onto the fastest boats of their asparagus fleets for fetching it for feasts as well as trading purposes. It is still known as the food of kings – Louis XIV had special greenhouses erected so he could enjoy it year-round. In Europe it is most popular white, which is created by etiolation, the process of depriving the shoots of light. The stalks are covered by soil as they grow to keep out the light necessary to produce chlorophyll and keep the stalks pale and tender. Modern cultivars include violet, purple, pink and many shades of green. The shoots are usually first cut in the 3rd year of growth at about 6-10 inches, cut at ground level to insure the health of the plant and its successful harvest for years to come. Enjoy!

“You needn't tell me that a man who doesn't love oysters and asparagus and good wines has got a soul, or a stomach either. He's simply got the instinct for being unhappy highly developed.” H.H. Munro

Noted Festivals include:
http://www.asparagusfest.com/
http://www.nationalasparagusfestival.org/
http://www.empirechamber.com/