Casa de Clemmons: Healthy Root Vegetable

Healthy Root Vegetable

We have sickness here at the Casa. Lower respiratory ick that appears to be particularly fond of us and in no hurry to leave.

This particular ick involves coughing of a quite rambunctious sort. You know the type. As the afflicted one begins to cough and cough and cough, you stand at the ready, prepared to lurch forward and catch the pancreas or gall bladder or lung part or hamster or hairball because the sounds coming from the smallish child must be forcefully expelling something large or why else would they sound so frightful?

I think I was canceling something or other with my friend, we will just call her Singa, and she started talking about a "healthy root vegetable." Singa just so happens to be Chinese which is convenient because this healthy root vegetable is a Chinese vegetable. Singa was telling me of its traditional reputation and use in healing respiratory problems among the Chinese and other human folk. Quite conveniently, she was on her way to the Asian market this very day and would pick me up one and tell me how to prepare it. Somewhat trusting that my friend was not going to feed us scary things, and hearing a fresh cacophony of coughing in the living room, I quickly agreed to the purchase and offered thanks. And told her to just drop it on the porch and run far, far, far from us. She didn't, she handed it kindly to me, but I don't think she breathed while on our property. I don't blame her.

Singa explained that this root, called a daikon, was rather distinct tasting and I should cook it separately from the rest of our meal. (I was making soup as another desperate measure for some variety of healing properties to calm the cough.) She directed me to simply have the children eat it, not for taste but for the healing benefits. I looked at the daikon that I was holding firmly in both hands. It was bigger than some dogs I have known. It looked like an albino carrot on some kind of illegal steroids. I looked at it and looked at Singa, who was now turning blue from lack of air; she was holding her breath you remember. It was huge. And kind of odd looking. She continued to calmly explain how to cut off the outside layer and cook the inside. I looked at her skeptically, not quite convinced that this was indeed a food product. She cautioned me again on the taste. And she left. Quickly. Wise woman.

I scooped out a cup or so of broth from our soup and put it into a small pot. I carefully prepared the daikon as instructed and dumped it into the broth. I let it boil for the instructed 15-25 minutes and tasted it. Pretty good. Like a turnip, but milder. I brought the kids in and told them that this was Mrs. Song's healthy root vegetable and she says it is good for your lungs and all that respiratory ick that you have going on in there. (put all the pressure on her, that's what I am all about, good friend that I am) They tasted it and pronounced it tasty so I dumped it all in the soup and stirred it about. (Sorry Singa, we are just weird over here and like new stuff in our soup.)

I started dishing up the soup and the kids started coughing and I sent them both to wash their hands again. We started eating and both kids coughed and asked if they were eating "healthy root vegetable." I said yes and they started chanting "We like healthy root vegetable!" Cough Gag Choke Cough I tell them not to talk loudly because it makes them cough. They then whisper and cough and expound on the merits and tastiness of "healthy root vegetable."

As she finished her bowl, Caroline asked "Should I be well now?" As if on cue, she exploded into a violent coughing fit. She looked at me, her face red, gasping for a breath.

"No." I answered.

"Why not? I ate the healthy root vegetable."

I told her to ask Mrs. Song.

Posted by stephanie at December 17, 2007 05:31 PM