Vegetables Quotes

“The chef turned back to the housekeeper. “Why is there doubt about the relations between Monsieur and Madame Rutledge?”

The sheets,” she said succinctly.

Jake nearly choked on his pastry. “You have the housemaids spying on them?” he asked around a mouthful of custard and cream.

Not at all,” the housekeeper said defensively. “It’s only that we have vigilant maids who tell me everything. And even if they didn’t, one hardly needs great powers of observation to see that they do not behave like a married couple.”

The chef looked deeply concerned. “You think there’s a problem with his carrot?”

Watercress, carrot—is everything food to you?” Jake demanded.

The chef shrugged. “Oui.”

Well,” Jake said testily, “there is a string of Rutledge’s past mistresses who would undoubtedly testify there is nothing wrong with his carrot.”

Alors, he is a virile man . . . she is a beautiful woman . . . why are they not making salad together?”
― Lisa Kleypas, Tempt Me at Twilight

“No dig saves time and keeps it simple, so that you can continue cropping all year without using synthetic feeds or poisons.”
― Charles Dowding, Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

“The more you harvest, the quicker and easier it becomes”
― Charles Dowding, Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

“We are surrounded by forces that technology cannot yet measure.”
― Charles Dowding, Charles Dowding's Skills for Growing

“When you mature in your relationship with God you realize how suffering and patience are like eating your spiritual vegetables.”
― Criss Jami, Diotima, Battery, Electric Personality

“Facts must be faced. Vegetables simply don't taste as good as most other things do.”
― Peg Bracken, The Compleat I Hate to Cook Book

“The phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber- all of the healthful components of plant foods- originate in plants, not animals. If they are present, it is because the animal ate plants. And why should we go through an animal to get the benefits of the plants themselves? To consume unnecessary, unseemly, and unhealthy substances, such as saturated fat, animal protein, lactose, and dietary cholesterol, is to negate the benefits of the fiber, phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are prevalent and inherent in plants.”
― Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, Color Me Vegan: Maximize Your Nutrient Intake and Optimize Your Health by Eating Antioxidant-Rich, Fiber-Packed, Color-Intense Meals That Taste Great

“They sowed the duller vegetables first, and a pleasant feeling of righteous fatigue stole over them as they addressed themselves to the peas.”
― E.M. Forster, Where Angels Fear to Tread

“I don't even know what my natural color is. Natural? What is natural? What is that? I do not believe in totally natural for women. For me, natural has something to do with vegetables”
― Donatella Versace

“I don't think I'll ever grow old and say, "What was I thinking eating all those fruits and vegetables?”
― Nancy S. Mure, EAT! Empower. Adjust. Triumph!: Lose Ridiculous Weight, Succeed On Any Diet Plan, Bust Through Any Plateau in 3 Empowering Steps!

“I am certain
you are not one of those dreary fellows one reads of who demands that
their lady friends be in possession of a maidenhead. Mine was taken
by a marrow two years ago.”
“A marrow, Miss Pertwee? The vegetable that the Italians call il
zucchine?”
“The very same.A most particularly bold and impetuous hot-house
marrow. It was quite the ravishment, I can assure you.”
“I consider it no dishonor at all to be preceded by so noble a vegetable.”
― Vinnie Tesla, The Erotofluidic Age

“As Yarrow slept and the moon rose high in the sky, a breeze rustled through stalks of onyx-hued basil and deep gray sage, tall as sunflowers. Starlight fell in slants across petals of black violets. A night-dark strawberry rolled across the ground. A plum-colored tomato fell from its stem. Borage and pansies and nasturtium in varying shades of black and gray turned the darkness into its own kind of rainbow.
Beneath the soil lurked something even darker. Generations of pain saturated the earth, fed each stem and fruit and flower. In the soft, thick leaves of sage: loss. In the blackened basil: broken hearts. Tucked inside the husks of charcoal corn: anger and betrayal. Trapped within the bell of burgundy calla lilies: stolen innocence.”
― Liz Parker, In the Shadow Garden

“The sweet taste, the crunchiness... it's the core of the cabbage chopped into thin sticks!"
"Oh! And the sauce on it is puréed raw tomato!!
I've had this tomato before too!!"
"A... fully ripe tomato grown using the Ryoken farming method..."
"It's amazing! This cabbage core goes way beyond a unique dish--- it's incredible !"
"It's like we'd forgotten how spectacular the taste of nature can really be! A cabbage as good as this merits a cooking method that highlights the quality of the vegetable.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Vegetables

“Just as the two of them finished their plump white asparagus spears in white sauce, they were served a selection of grilled vegetables. To think that onions could become so sweet and rich simply by grilling them! Rika had never been a fan of shishito peppers, but the ones on the plate in front of her were fragrant, with a gentle taste. Before she knew it, she'd devoured many more vegetables than she had the other night in that Japanese bistro, just a few dozen meters from here.
She was fairly sure that the red meat being cooked on a section of the hotplate not far from where they were sitting was for them. Eventually, clear juice began oozing from its surface. Even the smell of the melting fat was appealing and mild--- not aggressive or meaty. She watched transfixed as the red turned to pale pink, as the white fat grew translucent.
The meat was cut up and served to them in pieces. Rika imagined it would be steaming hot, but when she brought one of the chunks to her lips, she found it to be just the right temperature. The comfort it brought was that of a warm, affectionate tongue entering her mouth. When she bit into the aromatic seared surface of the meat, the juice from the moist, rare sections came seeping out, making the lining of her cheeks tremble. A blood-colored filament flickered across her vision.
'Apparently the garlic-butter rice here is truly out of this world. They use plenty of butter, as well as the leftover meat juices.'
Rika was looking at the rice cooking on the hotplate as she spoke. Cloaked in their mantle of amber butter, the grains shimmied and danced before her eyes. There was a sizzle as the chef poured on some soy sauce, and then the short, spirited tango was over.
Bowls of the glistening bronze rice appeared before them. Swathed in meat juice and butter, each and every grain shone potently. The rich, heady aroma of the soy sauce stoked Rika's appetite. The garlic singed to a deep brown unleashed a perilous bitterness and astringency across her palate. Slippery with fat, the rice slid across the plane of her tongue and down her throat. The meat she'd eaten before had been fantastically flavorsome, but this rice that had absorbed its juices was truly formidable in its taste. With each movement of her jaw, she felt a new lease of power surging up her body. The sense of fullness brought on a comfortable lethargy, and Rika felt she could happily drop off right at that moment.”
― Asako Yuzuki, Butter

“Nina and Sophie were seated at a large round table settled under the branches of a blooming magnolia. The rich scent of the flowers mixed with the incredible food Jasmine and her team had whipped up had built an almost intoxicating aroma. They started off with sesame Halloumi and sweet potato tahini mash, followed by butternut squash and sage risotto, then there were hearty mushroom steaks with a side of roasted eggplant and miso salsa as their main. As they ate, she tasted the flavors from the earth, celebrating the gardens and passionate people around them. Her friend had harnessed the surroundings and created a rich culinary experience for the event.”
― Erin La Rosa, For Butter or Worse

“While Addison might not have any misery to offer the plants in that moment, she could help them in other ways. She pulled on her gloves and started weeding the rows of fruits and vegetables and herbs, the summer sun warm against her back. She pulled a snail from a vine of ink-dark chocolate strawberries. She gently squeezed black raspberries that hid just a hint of mint. She watered deep purple tomatoes infused with basil, oregano, and thyme.
When she'd finished her rounds, she wormed her hands beneath the dirt. Roots prodded at her fingertips. A blackberry vine started toward her. It spiraled up her arm, night-dark blossoms soft against her cheek, their touch feather light.”
― Liz Parker, In the Shadow Garden

“The refreshing scent of the turnip, the succulent, natural sweetness of the flesh...
The fine aftertaste of its slight bitterness...
And the thing adding richness to its flavor...
...is the brown paste in the middle of it!"
"Kaibara-san, what is this?!"
"It's braised turnip with white mushroom paste.
The important part is the dashi... or the "fond de veau," as it's called. You make an elegant and savory broth which is like an Ichiban-dashi in Japanese cooking by using the bones of a fine calf and quality beef."
"I see! The mushroom paste inside gives it its punch!"
"It's mashed mushroom mixed with butter and cream."
"That is the importance of finesse in cooking...
A mediocre cook is likely to make a mistake when getting ahold of such a fine turnip. For example, he'll do something like making some nice dashi and quickly simmering the turnip in it.
But that is a mistake . Turnips have a muddy scent. And it is that scent that poses a problem!
Now, the muddiness of a turnip is something to be savored... but when placed together with something that goes well with it, it becomes far more flavorful .
For example, you can't expect the turnip to do much good when it is placed inside a clear soup. But when it's used inside a miso soup made with hatcho miso, the flavor of the turnip becomes lucid...
As you can see from this example, it's important what you put with it. And for this dish, I decided to use white mushrooms.
The white mushroom itself is an interesting kind of mushroom that can't draw out its best on its own, but will prove its worth when it is mixed with oil or dairy products and heated.
Its color will turn dark when heated, but the texture turns smooth and gentle, and the fragrance hidden inside it becomes apparent, giving birth to a deep, rich flavor.
When that mushroom paste combines with the flavor of the turnip...
they will multiply each other's taste upon your taste buds.”
― Tetsu Kariya, Vegetables

“This is spinach ohitashi."
"Ha! Here it is! And the red part of the root has been finely chopped and placed upon the leaves and stem...!"
"The redness of the root looks so pretty on the green leaves and stem."
"Hmm. Roots are crunchy, but they don't have any bad texture to them. It's been boiled to perfection, and the dashi...
Hmm, it's got something in it...
Dashi made katsuobushi with soy sauce, and there's a very slight secret flavor added to it... the plum..."
"Yes. A very slight amount of the umezu I got from making the umeboshi. You sure do have a keen sense of taste, Kyōgoku-san...
Grilled young taro.
It's a little early for them, but I love the refreshing taste of these small taro. The skin has been grilled, so you can peel it off very easily.
They taste good with just salt...
...but they're irresistible with salted sea urchin."
"Ooh! The refreshing taste of the small taro and the rich flavor of the sea urchin matches perfectly!”
― Tetsu Kariya, Vegetables

“Menu

Amuse-Bouche
Biscotte with a Caviar of Tomatoes and Strawberries


Entrées
Chilled Zucchini Basil and Mint Velouté
Ou
Pan-Seared Foie Gras served on Toast with Grilled Strawberries


Plat Principal
Gigot d'agneau, carved tableside

Served with your choice of Pommes de Terre Sarladaise or
Mille-Feuilles de Pommes de Terre

Served with Greens and Lemon Garlic Shallot Vinaigrette and
Multicolored Braised Baby Carrots
Ou
Lemon Chicken Tajine with Almonds and Prunes

Served with Couscous and Seasonal Vegetables
Ou
Panko-Encrusted Filet de Limande

Served with Wild Rice and Grilled Seasonal Vegetables
Ou
Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale (vegan)

Served with Rosemary Potatoes”
― Samantha Verant, Sophie Valroux's Paris Stars

“The waiter arrived with our entrées. Because we'd "ordered light," there were also only two of these. A firm whitefish with crispy skin that glistened under the light and shattered between my teeth, nestled atop a smooth, creamy carrot-ginger puree, luscious with just the right amount of butter (a lot). Roasted carrots, yellow and purple and orange but always caramelized on the outside added pops of sweetness and texture, and candied ginger was sprinkled on top, providing some spice and some chew.
I was sad when it came time to move on to the second entrée, but it cheered me right up. A pasta that had clearly been made here, thick strands that were tender but with a chew to them, bathed in a sauce of coconut milk and garlic and ginger and chiles. I could've slurped this pasta down all on its own, forever, but the buttery chunks of shrimp and crunchy bits of okra scattered throughout made for most welcome diversions. Okra seeds popped with relish on my tongue.”
― Amanda Elliot, Best Served Hot

“The waitress showed up then with our order, and we had to set to arranging our table so that none of the appetizers fell off. I wouldn't want to have lost any of the crunchy cucumbers marinated in a sweet, tangy vinegar, not quite long enough to become pickles but long enough where they weren't cucumbers anymore, or a single bite of the candied pork belly, rich and marinated in sticky sweet soy sauce, tucked in between pillowy buns and scattered with the crunch of peanuts.
Alice pushed the third appetizer, which had only been called Fried Eggplant on the menu, toward me. "Eat this."
I obeyed, closing my eyes to focus. The thin sticks of Chinese eggplant crunched with breading on the outside and melted creamy smooth in my mouth on the inside, made even better with a swipe of the silky, mild tofu sauce coating the bottom of the plate. Every time I when I was starting to feel like it was too rich and I might need a break, my tongue would hit a sprinkle of tart black vinegar and reset the richness levels. "Heaven.”
― Amanda Elliot, Best Served Hot

“I was so caught up in my thoughts I did not notice the wire till I got caught up in it. Right. Of course. Tomato patch. Those poor fruits. Or vegetables. Those poor fruitables. Those poor veguits.
I have too much time on my hands.”
― Finn Eccleston, The Community: A Funny and Disturbing Conspiracy Mystery Novel

“He is right here in the vegetable patch, in the time I make to spend with my new families, in the things he said to me, repeating in my head - you can never have too much love.
I had run away but here in the garden he’d found me and found me no longer a boy but now a grown-up man, myself.”
― Tom Allen, Too Much: the hilarious, heartfelt memoir

“Our deepest secrets are nothing but unsung songs, Lyra."
Palmyra would always repeat this to Lyra at every opportunity.
"And certain vegetables,
Palmyra would repeat to Lyra at every opportunity,
"when held in the hand of the cook, can just pick these secrets up and listen to them being silently sung.”
― Suzy Valtsioti, Lyra's Kitchen: A Culinary Chronicle of Simmering Secrets

“In the top left you have simmered Nagaoka bamboo shoots and wakame seaweed from Izumo, served in a Karatsu-ware bowl. Next to that, on the long Oribe dish, is grilled masu salmon seasoned with pepper tree leaves. The square Kutani bowl is dashi-simmered egg scrambled with green peas. The next row down is a series of five small Imari plates. Starting on the left: white miso clam gratin; salad of finely chopped cockles and Kujo green onion; tilefish sashimi with a ponzu, miso, and pepper-tree-leaf dressing; slow-cooked Tamba chicken in a salt koji marinade. At the end, on the right, is pickled sweetfish sushi, served whole. The round dish at the bottom is a selection of wild vegetables: butterbur buds, devil's-walking-stick, ostrich fern, momiji-gasa, bracken shoots, and smilax. Normally those would be served as tempura, but I've gone for something a little different and deep-fried them Western-style instead. Sprinkle them with matcha salt if you like, or they go very nicely with this green peppercorn-infused Worcestershire sauce." Nagare produced a bottle of white wine. "Now, will something like this do?"
"Hang on a moment," said Kana, reaching for her digital camera again.
"My friend in Tamba makes this," continued Nagare. "Hundred percent Chardonnay grapes, fermented in small French casks, apparently. Has an elegant flavor--- perfect for spring, I'd say.”
― Jesse Kirkwood, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

“First, the sashimi: soy-marinated tuna with a wasabi dressing, fresh slices of yuba, and thin-sliced sea bream smeared with sesame-seed paste. Dashi-maki omelet; miniature tilefish sushi; boiled hon-shimeji mushrooms and mizuna leaves in a bonito flake and soy sauce dressing; and pickled turnip cut into chrysanthemum flowers. These skewers are quail balls, steamed prawn, and salted smashed cucumber.”
― Jesse Kirkwood, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

“The grilled dish is miso-marinated pomfret, and the small bowls are simmered Horikawa burdock with Akashi octopus, Shogoin turnip, and Donko shiitake mushrooms. Those small fish wrapped in perilla leaves are moroko, stewed in a sweet soy and mirin sauce. The deep-fried dishes are winter mackerel, done Tatsuta-age style by marinating it first, and ebi-imo taro, fried straight-up. Wrapped around the green negi onion is roast duck, around the thicker, white negi is Kurobuta pork. Try dipping those in the wasabi or the mustard. As for the steamed rice with Seko crab, that'll taste best with these mitsuba leaves sprinkled on top.”
― Jesse Kirkwood, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

“Shokado bento boxes were originally paint boxes, you know--- that's why they're divided up into squares like that. Anyway, in the top left are the appetizers. Wakasa winter mackerel, marinated in vinegar and served sashimi-style; Hinase oysters simmered in a sweet soy and mirin sauce; Kyoto-reared chicken, deep-fried in the Toji temple style using a yuba batter; vinegared Taiza crab; stewed Shishigatani pumpkin; and Omi beef, marinated and deep-fried Tatsuta-age style. All served bite-size. In the top right is what we call 'imobo'--- dried codfish stewed with ebi-imo taro. I've served it with grated yuzu from Mio. Should brighten up the flavor a little. Bottom right is a selection of sashimi: lightly salted Wakasa tilefish served on a bed of kelp, and Toyama winter yellowtail, sliced extra thin and wrapped in thin slices of lightly pickled Shogoin turnip. Try those with a bit of the shredded shio-kombu--- kelp simmered in soy sauce. And bottom left is the rice, cooked in soft-shelled turtle broth. It's a very delicate flavor, so you can eat it just like you would plain white rice. In that little sake cup is some squeezed ginger juice--- try drizzling that on the rice, if you like. It'll really bring out the flavor. The soup is white miso with chunks of millet cake. Take your time, and enjoy!”
― Jesse Kirkwood, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

“Starting in the top left: fugu from Mikawa Bay, fried karaage style, and boiled Kano crab. To the right of that are grilled skewers of duck meatball and Kujo green onion, and tilefish tempura. Shogoin daikon and millet cake, baked in a miso glaze; Horikawa burdock and hamo fish cakes in broth. Below that are sake-steamed hamaguri clams, stewed Kintoki carrots and Kujo green onion, and the grilled fish is miso-marinated pomfret.”
― Jesse Kirkwood, The Restaurant of Lost Recipes

“The latik is almost done. Get the bowl and strainer ready. And get the maja blanca out of the fridge."
I followed her orders, and as my grandmother strained the browned coconut curds, or latik, from the coconut oil, I cut the coconut and corn pudding into squares. I helped my grandmother sprinkle the coconut curds on top of the cut pudding and stuck the tray back in the fridge. The texture was best when it was cold, so it'd stay there until it was time for dessert.
Next, I cleaned up the vegetable peels from the ginataang gulay my aunt had simmering on the stove, while my aunt fried the vegetable lumpia she'd just finished rolling.
"Lila, can you taste the stew and let me know if it needs anything?"
I grabbed a clean spoon and helped myself to a large scoop. The simple yet hearty dish contained various vegetables simmered in a savory coconut milk sauce. Fried tofu replaced the usual shrimp or pork so that my friends could enjoy it, too. "Mmm, you've really nailed the vegetable broth, Tita. I think it's great. Just serve the patis and bagoong on the side and it'll be fine."
Adeena and Elena were vegetarians, but they occasionally indulged in seafood, so giving them the option to add fish sauce and fermented shrimp paste instead of cooking it into the dish was nice.”
― Mia P. Manansala, Guilt and Ginataan