The allure of high-maintenance vegetables

Some vegetables are easy and comfortable. We don’t give a second thought to purchasing potatoes, carrots, onions, and the like because we know we can use them in myriad ways and they’ll always perform. Other vegetables, however, demand more from us. But they promise a big reward after we exert the extra effort, when they “transform into something more splendid than their more comfy cousins in the produce aisle,” says Australian Gourmet Traveller. The magazine explores the world of high maintenance vegetables. 

One such vegetable is the artichoke, which requires an investment of time before it becomes palatable. The magazine describes the hidden treasure you will find if you peel away the coarse exterior in humanistic terms: “A heartbroken artichoke once vowed never to love again, and locked its heart away behind coarse petals.”

Other vegetables that benefit from additional time and elevated technique include kale, eggplant, and beetroot. The last item in the list is called a “vengeful vegetable” because of its seeming desire to stain light-colored clothing. But it, along with the others, can be tamed. The article provides tips on working with all of these “high-maintenance” vegetables so the result is worth the effort.

Photo of Roast beetroot with shankleesh, onions, almonds and dill from Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine