Do your kids turn up their noses at any vegetable that’s green? Maybe you should throw them for a loop and give them a plate that’s entirely…purple. We gave that a shot earlier this week when we presented our family with a platter full of surprising vegetables. Presenting – The Purple Grill:
What’s on that platter? Clockwise from top: Purple (well, red) onions, purple potatoes, eggplant, purple carrots, and purple asparagus from Frieda’s Produce. And these vivid vegetables aren’t just pretty to look at: Purple carrots, purple potatoes, and purple asparagus are all rich in anthocyanins, the antioxidant compounds found in blueberries. Purple asparagus is also milder and a little sweeter than regular asparagus, so it could be an easier sell to your kids.
Finding Purple Produce
Where can you find these items? The red onions you’ll find just about anywhere. The purple potatoes used to be a little bit of a curiosity, but now you can find them with the regular potatoes in most well-stocked grocery stores. Eggplant is just about everywhere, even our farmers’ market these days. Purple carrots are a little harder to find but we see them all the time at Trader Joe’s packaged as “Trader Joe’s and Organic Carrots of Many Colors.” Purple asparagus is still a little bit of a curiosity in most parts but you may find it (or should at least ask for it) in high-end grocery stores.
And lastly, how did we prepare it? We steamed the asparagus and the carrots (and sliced the carrots too) so they would be a little softer heading on to the grill. Once these two items were steamed, we sliced everything else up and brushed the slices with extra-virgin olive oil. Then we put it all on the grill and, watching carefully, grilled the items for two to four minutes on each side. (Watch for hot spots on the grill – we lost a few slices of carrots to a surprisingly hot flame.)
And then… Time to eat! Who could say no to a purple meal?
Blogger disclosure: Frieda’s sent me purple asparagus for review. I did not receive compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
Hi! I'm Jeanne Fratello - a writer, reporter, and food enthusiast who is on a mission to write great stories about food and where your food comes from.
I grilled purple asparagus last night too! And I really adore those purple carrots with the orange center. It’s an art carrot.
Thanks, Dorothy! Those carrots are seriously festive. I’ve always thought they would make a great snack for a Redskins party (or some other team whose colors are maroon and gold) : )