Chrysanthe-yum?

If you had asked me a few weeks ago, I would definitely have told you chrysanthemum is a pretty flower and was not meant to be eaten. Well, if you ask me that now, I will tell you the same thing. Chrysanthemum greens are definitely not something I plan on eating again anytime soon! According to the farmers at the market, chrysanthemum greens can be eaten raw or cooked. When raw, the stalk tastes like carrots (but more bitter) and the leaves are VERY bitter. When cooked, the flavor of both the stalk and leaves mellows.

It was hard to find a recipe for chrysanthemum greens - it is obviously not a very popular vegetable! The only information I was able to find about cooking chrysanthemum greens stated that they cook very quickly (less than 2 minutes), and that they become mushy and tasteless when over cooked. Therefore, the easiest way to cook them seemed to be simply sauteing them in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Well, cooking them was very easy, but it didn't really improve their taste. Kind of like really bitter broccoli rabe. Not so delicious. However, the stuffed burgers that we had as our main dish were VERY delicious!! One of our favorite wedding gifts was this stuffed hamburger press that allows you to put cheese, vegetables, or anything else you want inside your burger. Just form two smaller balls of ground beef, put them in the press, fill the center with cheese, and then seal the sides. These burgers made up for the lackluster side dish, that is for sure.

And for those of you who were wondering, here's what the burger looks like on the inside:

Look at this cheesy goodness - kind of sounds like something Guy Fieri would say!

Even though this selection was a bit of a flop, I am still glad I picked chrysanthemum greens from the farmer's market. Part of the reason I wanted to participate in a CSA was so that I could try new foods and experiment with new cooking techniques. The CSA has definitely taught me more about produce, my own tastes, and it has given me more confidence in my own abilities in the kitchen. After all, you learn more from your mistakes than from your successes!