I've learned a lot this summer.

[conuly]

First I learned that one can eat beet greens. That was interesting, certainly.

Read an article about a farmer at the farmer's market who gets frustrated with customers who ask for the greens to be cut off their beets, but then turn around and buy chard. Sure, it makes him more money, but beet greens and chard are the same thing, and it's so wasteful! (He ought to put a sign up to that effect, really.) I understand his feelings.

Then I learned that radish greens are edible. They're a lot like kale, but not quite as strong.

That was a little disturbing. When you buy radishes in the supermarket, you usually buy them in a bag, without the greens attached at all. It would never have occurred to me that you could eat them except that that was mentioned in my new cookbook, 660 Curries (which I really recommend).

Today, I read in my CSA papers that carrots are related to parsley and that the greens are totally edible.

And now I'm pissed.

Did you know that you can eat carrot greens? Did anybody? Because I sure didn't, and given that the most common way to buy carrots is with the leaves detached, it would never, ever, in a million years have made sense to me that I was buying carrots (and radishes, and beets) without a valuable source of nutrition. Like white wheat flour, with nutrients just removed from it altogether.

Not that I particularly *want* to eat carrot greens - if they're anything like the parsley they're related to (and they sure do look the part), I'm positive I don't, in fact - but why is it that I only just now found out that it is an option? How many more things am I totally, blindly ignorant of? Things that ought to be common knowledge?

It's like finding out how easy gluemaking is, all over again. It's not about making glue, or even knowing how to make glue - it's about not even knowing I had a choice. It's like being 11 years old again, and the only school-sponsored education about my period was in fact an ad for commercial products, so other, perfectly good ideas weren't even thought of - the choice was taken away from me. It's like all sorts of these little moments built up, until I'm actually very annoyed. It's not like that, it is that.

I am not a happy Connie.

(The carrots at the CSA also came sans tops. I *am* emailing to comment on it. I'd just rip the tops off, again, parsley, ick, but then I could put them in the swap box.)

Comments

[conuly]

You know, marveen, you're a veritable font of knowledge. I love talking to you, you know a heck of a lot of useful and interesting stuff. You should totally write a book one day titled "Things I Had No Idea Other People Didn't Know Until Connie Pointed It Out". I'd buy it. In a heartbeat.

Read all that in a serious way. I really mean it. Seriously.

Now go ahead and read it in a sarcastic way, and I'll still kinda mean it. You're full of awesome, and you *are* awesome, but sometimes the fact that you know everything is a little overwhelming.*

Though you're definitely on my list of people to crash with if/when the world ends.

*thinks*

I need your address to do that. Gimme your address? I promise not to drop by with more than... uh... *mumbles a bit* 10 people... and most of them will be very capable adults, too!

*_{While I'm being honest, I should be honest and say it's mostly overwhelming because it messes with my carefully crafted facade of myself knowing nearly everything. I feel like a toddler yelling NO FAIR! when things most obviously *are* fair.}

[marveen.livejournal.com]

Heh. I had a problem, and I mean a real, lying-to-avoid-it PROBLEM with saying I'those three little words (http://www.amazon.com/review/REDJZXWD8RTFG) up into my twenties. I got over it eventually, which is a whole 'nother story.

I am currently living on a boat named Moana Lani, in Puget Sound. (If you google Tugboat Annie's in Olympia, WA, you'll see the marina it's moored in. We're on the third dock from the bottom, the first one with a roof. :-) We are, however, soon to move down to the Gulf Coast, in MS, which should make joining us a lot easier. Good luck on your Escape from New York, because of all the places I'd choose to be if/when, that's at the very bottom of the list.

I say "us" because I am now with the Captain. And what I don't know about a survival situation, he does. (Do you know how to dress a raccoon for stewing? The Capt. does. He says his theme song is one by Hank Jr. (http://www.cowboylyrics.com/lyrics/williams-hank-jr/country-boy-can-survive-10123.html), and he's been doing it ten years longer than I have.)

I don't know how bad things will be, but no matter how bad it gets, we're prepared.

[conuly]

Well, apparently I'm the responsible one. Which means I'm kinda stuck in the city until disaster strikes, because I Have Responsibilities.

And I like it here at the moment, but I could adapt.

[conuly]

Okay. I'm stumped. What does the link have to do with the comment?

Edit: Oh, now I found it. MUST. STOP. SKIMMING.