Hello Dear Readers,
This is my first time participating in such a project and I had a lot of fun. The theme for my journal is the A to Z of Vegetables. I love doing research and finding a vegetable for each letter of the alphabet was indeed a challenge. The art journal I used was a Canson Mixed Media Journal in the 7x10 size.
Why did I pick Vegetables? Well, because I do not especially like veggies, but I plan on spending the summer adding them to my diet so I thought this would be a great introduction to them. There were some surprises along the way.
Stencils: because this is a Stencilgirl challenge, we had to feature StencilGirl stencils on each page. Since I have a boatload of stencils, that was pretty easy to do. Although in full transparency, I had to be really careful to ensure that the stencils I picked from my stash met the StencilGirl criteria. Also, I think I went a little overboard because I used bits and pieces of a lot of stencils. So, the links in this blog are to the main one used.
Artichoke: A perennial plant resembling thistles, artichokes are only hardy in the US. Not my favorite because of its bitter taste.
Beets take up little room and can be planted in early spring for a summer harvest. I had to eat beets as a child because I was very anemic and the doctors said it would help.
Cabbage: I love cabbage cooked with either smoked turkey wings or pork ham hock.
Daikon radish is a nutritious, low-calorie cruciferous vegetable that may promote your health in various ways.
Eggplant is considered the royalty of the garden because of its deep purple color. My favorite way of eating it is cut into sticks, breaded and fried. ( I know not too healthy, but really good)
French Sorrell a perennial green that is easy to grow. Great in salads and soups. I am going to have to try this.
Garlic plant in early spring. Did you know there is a Garlic festival in Gilroy, California. This place is the Bubba Gump of Garlic.
Haricot Beans a white bean use a staple in ingredient bean dishes such as baked beans, also known as navy beans.
Iceberg Lettuce common lettuce used in salads. I do love me some iceberg lettuce.
Jicama is a Mexican Yam bean or Mexican Turnip and grown on a native Mexican Vine.
Kale is trending now as the green to eat. I do not like it at all.
Leeks are mild flavored cousins to the Onion. Be careful to wash thoroughly before eating.
Mashua colorful tuber which grows in the Andes. Softer than potato when cooked it has the taste of mustard greens (interesting).
Neeps grown in the North of England and Scotland, relative of the rutabaga and the turnip depending on the size.
Onion definitely a staple in most kitchens, onions add so much flavor to a recipe. I love onions.
Parsnips while looking like white carrots, the have a texture closet to potatoes. This veggie is good for baking with carrots and sweet potatoes mix.
Quinoa, wait did I say quinoa??? Yep, it is considered a vegetable. Who knew. I was trying to find a veggie beginning with a Q and this came up. It is not considered a typical grain, it is a close relative of leafy green vegetable like spinach and very easy to digest. I love it in salads.
Rhubarb is a vegetable that is eaten as a fruit. When I was little I had a baby sitter who made rhubarb jam, delicious.
Sweet potato, oh do I love sweet potatoes. So yummy. One of my weaknesses is sweet potato pie.
Tomatillo used in Mexican Sauces
Udo a perennial Japanese plant
V is for Velvet Beans
Velvet Beans native to Africa and Asia
Winter Squash included under this umbrella is acorn and butter nut squash. Stores well and are high in vitamin content.
Xigua chinese name for what we know as watermelon and is considered both a vegetable and a fruit. commonly found in Africa.
Yams starchy and edible tuber. Common in Latin America and Africa.
Zucchini is a type of summer squash. Love me some Zucchini bread.
Well dear readers, thank you for joining me on a journey through vegetables. Maybe you see a veggie you might want to they OR a stencil that you would like to have. Please take a moment to reply your thoughts,
until next time.....pilgrim (also known as Glenda Hoagland),