Lesson 6: Oil & Vinegar ..and Greens!

Well, today I think I officially convinced my class that I'm a really big nerd.  If typing up my study guide on Friday wasn't enough, today I had all of my math problems done plus the rest of the problems in the binder.. I love math, so once I finished the problems we had for homework I figured I'd just keep going and do the rest of them... ughh I'm a loser.  THEN Chef put me on the spot in class and asked what I watch on TV.. I blurted out the first thing I could think of, the show I was planning on watching tonight (actually I'm watching it right now), One Tree Hill.. probably the nerdiest show ever!!! It's my guilty pleasure TV show that I've been watching since high school and am totally addicted to even though it's sooo dumb!  I couldn't have just said Top Chef, Chopped or any other show I watch, but noooo I had to come up with the answer that makes me look like the biggest loser! 

Anyways, with that behind me we went on to taste some oils and vinegars.  We tasted some interesting oils, like pecan oil and hazelnut oil.  After that we tasted basically every type of green you can think of, then chopped up and cleaned some of them to cook.  We sauteed spinach, swiss chard, and collard greens.  We blanched and sauteed brussel sprouts, salt-wilted cabbage to make 2 different types of cole slaw, and made a dressing for our frisee greens.  The end of class is the best when we get to taste everything!  It was all very good.. except I'm not a huge fan of cole slaw.  My favorite was the collard greens.  We sauteed them with shallots and a bit of finely diced red pepper which added some great flavor!  I've never cooked collards..I was surprised to find that it was a lot like spinach or swiss chard.  I was also very surprised to find that I loved the brussel sprouts :)

I came home after school to a great meal that my mom made, peanut tofu stir-fry with spinach and mushrooms and a really good rice dish that she forgot to serve! Haha woooops!  I brought home some collards, brussel sprouts, and cole slaw for them to try and they loved it! Sounds like all I do is eat, which I do.... and I always save room for dessert! :)