Rude Vegetables

We visited a friend's garden today and my daughter (still in her pajamas) got to dig up a turnip.

This made us all think of the book "Talia and the Rude Vegetables" by Linda Elovitz Marshall, in which a little girl named Talia misunderstands her grandmother. The grandma says "root vegetables," but Talia hears "rude vegetables." Grandma instructs Talia to dig up seven root vegetables to make vegetable stew (a Rosh Hashanah recipe including cinnamon and raisins). Talia wonders how the vegetables can be rude (talking back? being bossy?) and reflects on her own behavior and what she needs to ask forgiveness for. She digs up beautiful vegetables, as well as a few she decides must be the rude ones, like a stubborn, terrible turnip. She gives the beautiful vegetables to the rabbi for the hungry, and takes the rude vegetables to Grandma who laughs about the misunderstanding. Very sweet.