Choose vegetables that blend well with the colors of the other foods being served. A meal of mashed potatoes, cauliflower, ham, and milk looks dull. Tomatoes and red cabbage would clash with the pink ham. Corn and broccoli complement the ham and make the meal more attractive. Tasty meals have several flavors that mix well. Too many strong flavors or too many mild flavors can be unappealing. It is a good idea to limit strong- flavored vegetables to one per meal (Figure 15.15). For instance, serving brussels sprouts, garlic, and turnips in the same meal might overwhelm your taste buds. The most appetizing meals include foods with different textures. Crisp romaine leaves, smooth sweet potatoes, and firm, raw zucchini slices add pleasant contrasts. Another way to make meals more exciting is to dress up vegetables. They can be served with herbs, spices, cheese sauce, lemon juice, chili sauce, soy sauce, or honey. You also can dress up vegetables with crumbled bacon bits, sliced hard-cooked eggs, toasted nuts, or a sprinkle of garlic. Vegetable Flavors Strong-Flavored Vegetables brussels sprouts cabbage cauliflower chili peppers garlic horseradish onion rutabaga Mild-Flavored Vegetables beans carrots corn lettuce peas squash tomatoes turnips Figure 15.15 Select vegetables that blend well with the flavors of the meal. Serve only one strongly flavored vegetable in a meal. Adventures in Food and Nutrition Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 366