STRANGE VEGGIES!

They are a healthy way to perk up your palate

Bored with veggies? Well, the vegetables popular in North America are just a tiny portion of the varieties available. If you are wary of experimenting with strange vegetables you know nothing about, here is a quick get-started list that can help.

Fennel
Sometimes called sweet anise, it looks like celery. Aromatic flavor and smell like licorice.The stems can be eaten like celery, uncooked or cooked. Try paring it with apples and nuts. Choose in same way you choose celery.

Belgian Endive
Silvery-white leaves with green edges. This sophisticated leafy vegetable is great for salads. Avoid specimens with wilted leaves. Use whole leaves as a boat for zesty fillings.

Cardoon
A favorite in the Mediterranean. A thistle-like plant. Use the inner leaves and stalks as a celery substitute. A favorite dish during Lent, when it is available.

Celeraic
A root vegetable, like a turnip. The light brown bulb root is a nice change from potatoes. Choose a small plant with no roots at top. Soft spot at top indicates decay. Peel skin before cooking. Cut into small pieces and boil until tender. Serve with butter or sauces.

Chinese Peas
Itís not the pea, but the pod that counts here. Naturally crisp with delicate flavor. Great for stir frying with butter and soy sauce. Nice addition to stews and vegetable dishes. Do not overcook. They are made to be crisp.

Dandelion Greens
Pick wild dandelion leaves while they are still small and tender. Cultivated types are less bitter. Add fresh to tossed salad or combine with onion, garlic and bacon seasoning and steam from 10 to 20 minutes.

Salsify
Thomas Jefferson loved this plant. Shaped like a carrot with brown skin. Peel and trim roots immediately before blanching the white flesh in salted water for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice to water. Sautee briefly in butter.

Taro
Well-loved in the Pacific, this tuberous plant is very digestible. It can be baked, steamed, boiled or used in soups like potatoes. Choose a firm tuber. Boil or bake with the skin on. Cooks in the same time as a potato. When tender, peel and cut into half-inch slices and brown lightly in oil or butter.

Tomatillos
This Mexican native is the principle ingredient in salsa verde. Choose tomatillos with a yellow-green color and a dry, split brown husk. Its tart, lemony flavor is good for sauces. To prepare: Remove husks, wash and remove skins. Cook whole or cut, steaming for 5 to 7 minutes. The result will be a sauce.

Water Chestnuts
Add these naturally crunchy vegetables to salads, stews or casseroles. Look for very firm dark brown skins and store in refrigerator. Light flavor and crisp texture even when stewed.