These Ugly Vegetables Make a Mighty Fine Soup
My mother loved grocery shopping. She knew everyone at the grocery store and delighted in any new fruits or vegetables that came through the produce department.
Even in an era where canned goods and frozen foods took center stage, when iceberg was practically the only game in town, my mother was buying escarole and bok choy. I still remember being the first kid in the neighborhood to have eaten kiwi.
So it was in lovely tribute to my mother that her good friend Lois, a few years back, gave my daughter The Ugly Vegetables, (Charlesbridge Publishing, 1999) a picture book by Grace Lin, who, coincidentally, grew up in the same small Upstate New York town as I.
The Ugly Vegetables is the story of a little girl who helps her mother plant a garden. The girl is disappointed that her plot is different from the others on the block and yields ugly vegetables, while up and down the street the neighborhood gardens are filled with beautiful flowers.
But her disappointment disappears the day her mother harvests those "ugly" vegetables and turns them into a delicious soup that brings the whole neighborhood to her door.
All our neighbors were standing at the door holding flowers.
"We noticed you were cooking." Mr. Fitzgerald laughed as held out his flowers. "And we thought maybe you might be interested in a trade!"
W laughed too, and my mother gave them each their own bowl of her special soup.
A recipe for Ugly Vegetable Soup, made with Chinese vegetables such as sheau hwang gua (Chinese cucumber) is included at the end of the book, so you can enjoy a bowl of it too.
--Tracy Schneider
Kate McDermott on October 04, 2009 at 09:00 AM
I love this story! Thanks for this sweet blog entry.
Kate
www.artofthepie.com
jeu psp on October 05, 2009 at 04:41 AM
This was a wonderful story that my husband and children just loved. We learned about some new vegetables in the process. As a kid I wasn't fond of bitter melon, but I'm willing to give it a second try after reading the book! My 5 and 6 year old boys are clamoring for us to go out, buy some ugly vegetables, and make the soup! This book appeals to every member of the family and the illustrations are beautiful.
greek holidays on October 09, 2009 at 11:57 PM
Hi..Tracy Schneider
This was a wonderful story that my husband and children just loved. We learned about some new vegetables in the process.