The Ground Cherry Part:
“Do you mind telling me what you do with those?” The young woman at the Co-op checkout register pointed to the small container filled with ground cherries I was buying. She looked quite curious.
She’s always pleasant so I let her in on a little secret. “I eat them just as they are. They’re delicious.”
Thinking I should give more explanation, I went on. “It’s a childhood thing. I have the best memories of picking and eating them in my grandmother’s garden.”
That was slightly inaccurate. Although originally belonging to my grandmother, by the time I was picking ground cherries, my two maiden aunts who were like grandmothers had inherited the garden. Didn’t matter to my sister or me. When harvest time came, we went looking for these small but sweet and delicious golden orbs encased in a papery husk.
Ground cherries don’t do well in our northern climate. At least they didn’t at my house. My aunts’ garden was located in southeastern South Dakota. Several years ago, I ordered three plants from Seed Savers and tried to cultivate them, but the plants were spindly and the harvest meager. Maybe 10 cherries. Hardly worth the time and effort, which explains why, the other day, when I spotted these treasures in the Co-op produce display, I was delighted.
Ground cherries certainly were popular back in the day of my childhood. The farm ladies made jam with them, served ground cherry sauce and baked ground cherry pies. The pies were so highly prized at fundraiser auction items that the Minn-Kota Relief Sale in Sioux Falls sold them for $150 each.
When I researched these delicacies on the Internet, it was interesting to note numerous gardeners were as excited about them as I and wondering why they haven’t become more popular. I’m simply happy to have found them at all.
The Broccoli Part:
My Dad was a meat and potatoes and bread guy. As for veggies —he tolerated green beans, peas and canned corn. That was it. As long as Mom served these items Dad was happy.
At age 18 I discovered vegetables other than peas, beans and corn existed. “Why haven’t you ever served us broccoli?” I chided my mother after attending a fraternity dinner dance where broccoli with cheese sauce had been served. “It’s delicious.”
“Your father doesn’t like it.” Her answer was short, and I knew that was the end of that.
I was soon fixing my own food and introduced to a whole new world of vegetable. Asparagus… Brussels sprouts… cauliflower…you name it, I like it. I could give lessons on how to make your child like veggies – just don’t serve them.
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