topic Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable! in Kitchen

Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Sooner — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:02:23 GMT

I was looking through some old community cookbooks from the 1970's and 1980's, and was reminded that should you live below the Mason Dixon line, grits IS a vegetable. The "Vegetable" sections of these books are proof!

I wanted to point this out in case some of you from other areas are thinking what vegetables could I serve with my holiday meal! Fear not! Grits to the rescue.

Creamed grits, cheese grits, garlic grits, and on and on. Some do include pepper, which after all IS a plant.

Just FYI! Here to help! Many people are big fans of vegetables that are carbs as well!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Desertdi — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:17:46 GMT

@Sooner

I firmly believe chocolate is also a vegetable. It comes from cocoa BEANS. di

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Icegoddess — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:31:41 GMT

Grits are made from a variety of corn, so of course it's a vegetable. I love grits, but not the instant ones. Those are nasty.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:37:28 GMT

@Sooner

A vegetable? Seriously? Just because it was found in a regional cookbook isn't proof ..... please clarify.

I thought grits came from CORN .... and like wheat pasta, rice, barley, and many others .... isn't corn a GRAIN?

I recently saw RICE GRITS at the store, even though I though only corn qualified.

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me, in the over all scheme of things. If you like grits, eat them.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Jk9 — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:41:29 GMT

We had Shrimp and Gouda Grits last night. Very tasty and filling. We like to do that occasionally. Love those cheesy grits.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

smoochy — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 18:57:30 GMT

I tried grits for the first time recently. Being from the upper Midwest I thought when in Rome.. or in my case, now that I live in Florida. Anyhow, yuk. I'll happily leave this southern dish to the southern folks. 🥴

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

loriqvc — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:00:31 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
@Sooner

I firmly believe chocolate is also a vegetable. It comes from cocoa BEANS. di

@Desertdi - I'm with you! I always tell people cake is part of a plant-based diet due to the flour, sugar, vanilla, and chocolate.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Kachina624 — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:10:17 GMT

I firmly belive the Deep South delicacy, grits, should stay in the Deep South and not be allowed to leave.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Franklinbell — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:11:51 GMT

Love cheesy grits! Yum yum!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

on the bay — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:28:46 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
I firmly belive the Deep South delicacy, grits, should stay in the Deep South and not be allowed to leave.

This had me laughing @Kachina624.

My father first introduced me to grits. Plain. There is nothing and I mean nothing like a soothing bowl of grits. Maybe a tiny bit of butter

but no shrimp, no cheese, no confusing things added

You haven't lived until you have a bowl of grits done right!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Kachina624 — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:30:58 GMT

@on the bay. If you say so.

@Sooner. I suppose cream of wheat is also a vegetable?

Tomatoes are a fruit but most are wise enough not to serve it in fruit salad.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Desertdi — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:35:07 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 @Sooner

I believe that Sooner was making an "amusing" (lighthearted) observation regarding holiday meals... di

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Zhills — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:36:09 GMT

Thanks for this post...I learned something new today!

Googled "corn" and the Neb Corn Board says:

When people ask if corn is a fruit or a vegetable. The answer is … yes. It just depends.

Scientifically, corn is a fruit because the part of the corn that people generally eat— the kernels—comes from the flower of the plant.

This may come as a surprise, because many people think fruit must be sweet and many members of the general public think of corn as a vegetable.

In fact, it’s often categorized as a vegetable on many versions of the food pyramid—including the MyPlate food guidelines introduced by the federal government in 2011.

While it’s true that many fruits are sweet—bananas, pineapples, grapes and strawberries, to name just a few.

Tomatoes are another example of a fruit that tends to fall on the more savory side of the spectrum.

When is corn a vegetable? While corn is a fruit when you eat kernels or corn on the cob, if you eat the leaves or the stalk—like cows and other livestock that eat corn—corn would be classified as a vegetable.

(Don't know anyone who eats the leaves or husk!)

So, corn can be a fruit or a vegetable, depending on what part of the plant is being eaten. So now we know!

@Kachina624 I will gladly keep them in the South and enjoy!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Spacrazy — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 19:49:14 GMT

One of my first loves and still a household staple!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Tinkrbl44 — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:01:58 GMT

@smoochy wrote:
I tried grits for the first time recently. Being from the upper Midwest I thought when in Rome.. or in my case, now that I live in Florida. Anyhow, yuk. I'll happily leave this southern dish to the southern folks. 🥴

@smoochy

IMO, They're similar to cream of wheat cereal.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Sooner — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:04:12 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
@Sooner

I firmly believe chocolate is also a vegetable. It comes from cocoa BEANS. di

@Desertdi There you have it!!!!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Sooner — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:05:05 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@on the bay. If you say so.

@Sooner. I suppose cream of wheat is also a vegetable?

Tomatoes are a fruit but most are wise enough not to serve it in fruit salad.

@Kachina624 No. It's just grits.

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Sooner — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:06:28 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

@Sooner

A vegetable? Seriously? Just because it was found in a regional cookbook isn't proof ..... please clarify.

I thought grits came from CORN .... and like wheat pasta, rice, barley, and many others .... isn't corn a GRAIN?

I recently saw RICE GRITS at the store, even though I though only corn qualified.

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me, in the over all scheme of things. If you like grits, eat them.

@Tinkrbl44 Of course it is true if found in a regional cookbook. Why would you doubt that?

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

Sooner — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:13:21 GMT

@smoochy wrote:
I tried grits for the first time recently. Being from the upper Midwest I thought when in Rome.. or in my case, now that I live in Florida. Anyhow, yuk. I'll happily leave this southern dish to the southern folks. 🥴

@smoochy Well bless your heart! We Southern folk do appreciate your kindness and thoughtfulness.

And by the way, corn and tomatoes didn't originate in Italy--but a reminder they are New World foods like chocolate, peppers, potatoes, vanilla, pineapple, green beans, squash, etc. All those people that say their food is Italian, well, lately!

I can't imagine my life without tomatoes and peppers and chocolate and vanilla. OH my! I am thankful these things made it to the rest of the world and ME!

Re: Yes Virginia, it IS a Vegetable!

on the bay — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 20:29:09 GMT

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@smoochy wrote:
I tried grits for the first time recently. Being from the upper Midwest I thought when in Rome.. or in my case, now that I live in Florida. Anyhow, yuk. I'll happily leave this southern dish to the southern folks. 🥴

@smoochy

IMO, They're similar to cream of wheat cereal.

Now that's just silly @Tinkrbl44!

Nothing like too creamy, bland, cream of wheat. I shall make you some proper grits!