**Spoiler Alert*** If you like eating broccoli, and don't want this post to potentially ruin that for you, do not read any further.
My dad has always been an amazing gardener. And way before organic was in vogue, my dad was refusing to use chemcials and putting fresh garden produce on the dinner table every summer evening. But growing up, there was always one thing that bothered me: there were aphids on the lettuce. We called them "lettuce boogies." It was a funny family joke; every night little Cyberchick had to closely examine her lettuce for aphids. No one took my concerns seriously.
Eventually I found them on the broccoli. They are extremely difficult to find in broccoli because, let's face it, it's a vegetable with a lot of great hiding spots. My parents always had the same joking responses....they're just bugs, it's better than eating pesticides, aren't you lucky you're getting extra protein, etc. But it really bothered me.
Once I was on my own, I began cooking fresh broccoli from the store...and I kept finding aphids. If you boil broccoli, some of the aphids will float off, but others will not. So I started limiting my broccoli purchases to frozen broccoli. (And believe me, this odd aversion gets to be a problem in restaurants). I know this sounds ridiculous, but I would rather eat the cancer-causing chemicals that may be on the treated broccoli than the hundreds of bugs I know are on the organic stuff. Aphids are 100% harmless...and 100% gross.
So broccoli and I have had a tumultuous relationship. I am not a lover of vegetables, but I try to get my five a day. And I know that broccoli is a cancer-fighting super food. But after tonight, I just don't know. I had steamed a box of frozen Meijer-brand broccoli spears, and before I took a bite, I peeled apart the little buds to find multitudes of dad's good old aphids. I showed my husband. For the first time in his life he did not ridicule me (learned behavior from meals with my side of the family). Instead he was appalled. He started listing the other fruits and vegetables he'd eaten today to justify his passing up the broc-o-bugs.
So there it is. I don't know how to move forward in this relationship. Do I now need to take even more time inspecting my broccoli? No more Meijer brand? No more frozen? Or do I just ban it all from my house? And how do I keep AJ from finding out about these bugs? I hope she never learns of the horror that lies within because broccoli really is a great veggie...except for the BUGS.
~
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Girl - you are too funny!
Whenever we would pick up food from the CSA, it always had little white worms or spiders on the cauliflower, little green worms on the broccoli, and other various creatures. I agree with you it is pretty gross.
I thought your blog was bad, but Carla's post just made me want to throw up! You know if I found spiders on my food, we'd be done. If I didn't have a heart attack in my kitchen.
I should've heeded the warning and not read your post. We always get the frozen, steam-in-the-bag broccoli and it never occurred to me to check it for bugs. And of course, it's the one veggie that my kids chow down on. Ugh.
ugh! We just finished off a bag of frozen last night :( I never thought to check for aphids...ick ick ick. Now I feel like the grouchy lady bug.
Post a Comment