Arugula Salad
Want a change from dainty mesclun vinaigrette? Hungry for strong, peasant flavors? Here's a rocket salad that rocks. In a jar, shake together four parts olive oil to one part lemon juice with a pressed clove of garlic. Tear pieces of freshly-picked arugula into a bowl; toss the greens and dressing together. Toss again after adding coarse salt, freshly ground pepper and shaved Pecorino Romano cheese.
Barbara Damrosch
Four Season Farm
Harborside, Maine
Chard Stems with Golden Onions and Fresh Bread Crumbs
1 pound chard stems (about 12 large stems) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, minced 1/2 cup heavy cream Freshly ground black pepper Salt 1 cup fresh bread crumbs Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Trim off any bruised parts off the stems. Add the chard stems; salt to taste. Cook until the stems are almost tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and reserve the stems. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease a 13" x 9" glass or ceramic baking dish.
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until richly colored, about 8 minutes. Add the cream and simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the chard stems in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Drizzle the onion mixture over the chard. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until the crumbs are golden-brown and the cream has glazed the chard, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 as a side dish. The Essential Reference:
Vegetables From Amaranth to Zucchini
by Elizabeth Schneider
Cucumber and Chive Soup with Lemon and Dill
3 medium cucumbers
1/3 cup chopped chives 1 cup plain non-fat yogurt 1 cup buttermilk 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon dried dill weed Pinch of salt Garnish: 1 tablespoon each, chopped chives and minced parsleyPeel and halve lengthwise the cucumbers. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the cucumbers into 1" chunks. Finely chop cucumbers in food processor and drain. In a large bowl, stir together cucumbers with the next six ingredients until blended. Refrigerate until serving time. Serve in glass bowls with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped chives and parsley. Serves 4 to 6. Vegetarian Fast and Fancy
by Renny Darling
Every Night Vinaigrette 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped shallots 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1 egg yolk Coarse sea salt Freshly cracked black pepper 1 1/2 cups canola oil
In food processor or blender, combine garlic, shallots, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, pulsing to combine. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Add the egg yolk, pulsing to combine until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the canola oil to emulsify. If it separates, add a scant tablespoon of hot water to emulsify again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Jo-Anne van den Berg-Ohms
John Scheepers * Bantam, CT
Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
1 pound green and yellow beans, ends snapped off
2 medium ripe tomatoes (about one pound), cored and cut into 1/2" cubes 1 small shallot, minced 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves Freshly ground black pepper 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oilBring several quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the beans and salt to taste. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, shake dry and then spread out over a clean towel so they dry quickly. Let the beans cool to room temperature. Combine the tomatoes, shallot, oil, lemon juice, parsley and pepper to taste in a large serving bowl. Add the beans and adjust the seasonings, using salt sparingly. Sprinkle the feta cheese over the salad and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6 as a first course. Variation: Use 1 tablespoon walnut oil and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Sprinkle the salad with 1/3 cup toasted and coarsely chopped walnuts and crumbed goat cheese (instead of the feta) just before serving.
Vegetables Every Day
by Jack Bishop
Herbed Butter Balls Unsalted butter, room temperature Lemon zest Garlic Ginger root Fresh herbs: basil, chervil, chives, dill, lemongrass, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, tarragon or thyme
It may sound strange but these herbed butter balls are a real life saver in the kitchen for all of us short-order cooks. In a medium mixing bowl, blend butter until soft and creamy. Add your favorite combinations of finely chopped herbs, lemon zest, minced garlic or finely grated ginger root and mix to blend. Refrigerate until almost firm.
By spoonfuls, roll the herbed butter mixture into little balls and place on a cookie sheet with sides and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the cookie sheet and freeze in airtight, plastic freezer bags, labeled by “flavor” and dated. Use as you like to pan sear scallops and fish or to deglaze skillets after swordfish steaks, salmon or boneless chicken breasts: then add snow peas, asparagus tips, roasted bell peppers or whatever wonderful vegetables you have on hand to create spontaneous and easy masterpieces. It is also nice to use your signature herbed butters on toast points for hors d’oeuvres. Don’t be shy: experiment and create different herbed butters with international flavors: French (chervil, chives, marjoram, parsley, tarragon, thyme or sage), Italian (basil, garlic, oregano, parsley, sage or savory) or Asian (chives, coriander aka cilantro, lemongrass, Siam Queen basil or grated ginger root). Jo-Anne van den Berg-Ohms John Scheepers * Bantam, CT
Want a change from dainty mesclun vinaigrette? Hungry for strong, peasant flavors? Here's a rocket salad that rocks. In a jar, shake together four parts olive oil to one part lemon juice with a pressed clove of garlic. Tear pieces of freshly-picked arugula into a bowl; toss the greens and dressing together. Toss again after adding coarse salt, freshly ground pepper and shaved Pecorino Romano cheese.
Barbara Damrosch
Four Season Farm
Harborside, Maine
Chard Stems with Golden Onions and Fresh Bread Crumbs
Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet. Add the onions and saute over medium heat until richly colored, about 8 minutes. Add the cream and simmer just until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the chard stems in a single layer in the greased baking dish. Drizzle the onion mixture over the chard. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until the crumbs are golden-brown and the cream has glazed the chard, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 as a side dish.
Vegetables From Amaranth to Zucchini
by Elizabeth Schneider
3 medium cucumbers
by Renny Darling
In food processor or blender, combine garlic, shallots, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar, pulsing to combine. Season to taste with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Add the egg yolk, pulsing to combine until smooth. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the canola oil to emulsify. If it separates, add a scant tablespoon of hot water to emulsify again. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
John Scheepers * Bantam, CT
Green Bean Salad with Tomatoes and Feta
1 pound green and yellow beans, ends snapped off
Vegetables Every Day
by Jack Bishop
By spoonfuls, roll the herbed butter mixture into little balls and place on a cookie sheet with sides and freeze until solid. Once frozen, remove from the cookie sheet and freeze in airtight, plastic freezer bags, labeled by “flavor” and dated. Use as you like to pan sear scallops and fish or to deglaze skillets after swordfish steaks, salmon or boneless chicken breasts: then add snow peas, asparagus tips, roasted bell peppers or whatever wonderful vegetables you have on hand to create spontaneous and easy masterpieces. It is also nice to use your signature herbed butters on toast points for hors d’oeuvres. Don’t be shy: experiment and create different herbed butters with international flavors: French (chervil, chives, marjoram, parsley, tarragon, thyme or sage), Italian (basil, garlic, oregano, parsley, sage or savory) or Asian (chives, coriander aka cilantro, lemongrass, Siam Queen basil or grated ginger root).