recipes and excerpt from vegetables by james peterson

8/2/2019 Recipes and Excerpt From Vegetables by James Peterson

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iii

vegetablesJames Peterson

TEN SPEED PRESSBerkeley

REVISED EDITION

THE MOST AUTHORITATIVE GUIDE

TO BUYING, PREPARING, AND COOKING,

WITH MORE THAN 300 RECIPES


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iv

Contents

vi INTRODUCTION

1 PAR I

Skills for Preparing andCooking Vegetables

2 KNIFE SKILLS

9 METHODS OF COOKING

37 MAKING SALADS

51 MAK ING GRATINS AND CASSEROLES

56 MAKING STEWS

63 MAK ING SOUPS

80 MAK ING PASTA, GNOCCHI, AND RISOTTOS

90 MAKING PUREED VEGETABLES

94 PAR II

Te Vegetables: A to Z

360 APPENDI X

BUTTERS AND SAUCES

BROTHS AND CONCENTRATED BROTHS

378 INDEX

391 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS


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vi

Introduction

W HE N I S E OU O W R I E the first edition of Vegetablesin 1996, I wentto the local bookstore to look at other vegetable books. I almost gave up

when I saw hundreds of books about vegetables and several shelves full ofvegetarian books, which made up one of the largest sections in the store.But as I flipped through the books, and aer giving my newly conceived

vegetable project a little thought, I realized that what I wanted to writewas different. In my perusal of the competition I found few recipes forthe simplest dishesthings like glazed carrots, mashed potatoes, sautedspinach, and steamed asparagusdishes to cook on a Wednesday evening

with a house full of kids and aer a day at the office. Some of the booksextolled the virtues of shopping at the local farmers market (who coulddisagree?), but they didnt mention those winter days when the only sourceof vegetables may be the supermarket. And while its great to cook withlovely fresh or even heirloom vegetables, its more of a challenge to makesomething tasty out of a few beans or a bag of supermarket mushrooms.So I decided to write a book that would include not just new or unfamiliar

dishes but also the tried-and-true dishes that many of us grew up with. Ialso wanted to liven up many of these dishes by adding new twistslikefolding pesto or roasted garlic into mashed potatoes or pine nuts andraisins to sauted spinach.

At the same time, I decided to include simple new ways (new to us buttraditional in other places) to cook less-familiar vegetables, such as kale,Swiss chard, fennel, and escarole. Many of these dishes were based onmemories of meals in great restaurants or of travels to foreign countries;some were last-minute inventions made up aer out-of-control buyingsprees at the farmers market. e purpose of some of these recipes was, of

course, to provide new tastes and combinations, but also to offer simple,flavorful, and lighter alternatives to traditional methods.Its now fourteen years since the publication of the first edition of

Vegetables, and as books do, Vegetableswent out of print. I (along with mypublisher, Ten Speed Press) saw an opportunity to republish Vegetables


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INTRODUCTION vi i

with full-color photography. We have now included photographs of mostof the vegetables and many of the recipes.

In addition to new color photography, this revised edition contains morethan thirty new vegetable entries, fiy new recipes, and a new section onherbs. Chopping and dicing have been more thoroughly explained, and

the book now has a thirty-page techniques section that explains (andsometimes shows) every method you might need to cook a vegetable. enew vegetable entries are mostly for Asian vegetables, although a few Euro-

pean ones (salsify, crosnes) have made their way in. e herb section coversall the common herbs, as well as lesser-known varieties (rue, epazote).

In the years since Vegetableswas first published, American tastes havechanged. We have stirred away from a richer and more subtly flavoredEuropean-influenced cuisine, to the direct flavors, bold variations intexture, and bright colors of Asian cooking. To accommodate this, I havespent many a morning in Chinatown trying to unravel the mysteries ofAsian vegetables. e results of these endeavors are found throughout thebook as Ive taken some of these exotic and not-so-exotic beans and lentils,gourds, herbs, and rhizomes home to my kitchen laboratory for experi-mentation. Many of them I have cooked using traditional techniques andflavorings, but others have called out for completely new treatments.

is new edition of Vegetablesis divided into two sections, the exten-sive technique section followed by an alphabetical listing of the vegetablesthemselves. Once youve read the technique section, the techniques calledfor in the recipes should all be familiar. Hopefully, with the knowledgeof those techniques, youll be able to improvise with both familiar andunfamiliar vegetables. For example, the section on gratinsprobably

better known as casserolesanalyzes which liquids (cream, bchamelsauce, broth, coconut milk, and so on) are most appropriate. It shows howcooking times and temperatures influence the final result and how varioustoppings can be used to create a crust. Armed with this knowledge, a newidea or recipe for a gratin should be easily accommodated and mastered.

But the new Vegetablesis not just about techniques. It also explores theflavor combinations used in many of the worlds great cuisines. Unlikemany fusion dishes that have no tradition behind them, the dishes inVegetablesare firmly grounded in the cultural habits of various peoples

working in the kitchen.In short, armed with this new edition, you can embark on new culinary

adventures and feel free to improvise in the kitchen. Once you have thebasic understanding of how each vegetable behaves, coupled with a famil-iarity with the techniques that are used in its preparation, your flights offancy will be well grounded in the realities of those treatments best suitedto your preparations.


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292 THE VEGETABLES : A TO Z

Artichoke, Morel, and Salsify Salad

This luxurious salad is easy to make once you have the various elements trimmed

and precooked. If youre using dried morels, theres no need to precook them but

if youre using fresh, they need to be sauted in a little olive oil. (Dont use butter

or it will congeal when the mushrooms cool.)

MAKES 6 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS

If youre using fresh morels, saut them for about 5 minutes in the 3 tablespoonsof the pure olive oil over high heat until they smell fragrant. If youre using driedmorels, soak them in just enough warm water to come halfway up their sides for30 minutes. Squeeze out the water.

Peel the salsify and rub each root with a half a lemon. Cut the salsify into 2- to3-inch pieces. Squeeze the lemon halves into the 4 quarts of water (dont add thewhole halves or the salsify will taste like lemon furniture polish) in a large pot.Add the salsify and simmer in salted water until the salsify can be penetratedwith a knife, but still offers some resistance (about the same as a perfectly cookedartichoke), about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool.

Toss together the morels, salsify, artichokes, remaining 1/4cup olive oil, vinegar,and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve within an hour or two.

1 pound fresh morels, or 1 ouncedried

3 tablespoons pure olive oil

4 salsify roots

1 lemon

4 large artichokes, prepared asshown on page 97

1/4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil,for dressing

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plusmore to taste

2 teaspoons finely chopped freshparsley or fennel fronds

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Artichoke, Morel, and Salsify Salad.


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FENNEL 199

Fennel, Orange, and Walnut Salad

In the south of France, a strip of dried orange zest often goes into meat and fish

stews. Fennel is also popularthe dried twigs are used for grilling seafood and

the bulbs are used as a flavoring in bouillabaisse and other seafood soups and

stews. The combination of fennel and orange is a good one, and the texture of

the walnuts (you can also use pecans) provides an intriguing crunch, similar to, yet

contrasting with, that of the fennel.

MAKES 6 FIRST-COURSE SERVINGS

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Toast the walnuts on a sheet pan in for about 15 minutes or until they darkenslightly and smell fragrant.

Pull off a small handful of the green frizzy fennel fronds and reserve. Cut off thestalks where they join the bulbs and discard or reserve for broth or grilling. Peelthe outer fibers off the fennel bulbs with a paring knife or peeler and trim a thinslice off the root ends.

Slice the fennel bulbs crosswise as thinly as you can with a vegetable slicer. Imme-diately toss the slices with the lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the onion as thinly as you cana vegetable slicer is best for thisand rubthe slices with 1 teaspoon salt. Drain the slices in a colander for 15 minutes andthen grab them up in your hand and squeeze as much water out of them as youcan. Put the onion in the bowl with the fennel.

Cut the oranges into rounds or wedges and very gently toss together the walnuts,orange slices, onion, fennel, salt, and pepper until everything is well coated withlemon juice and olive oil. Coarsely chop the reserved fennel fronds and sprinklethem over the salad. Serve at the table.

VARIATION:

I sometimes combine this salad with top halves of 2 bunches of watercress (whichwill make it enough for eight) and/or 8 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut intostrips and arranged around and over the salads on the plates.

1/2cup shelled walnut halves orpecans

2 fennel bulbs

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 small white onion

3 navel oranges

Fennel, Orange, and Walnut Salad


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WINTER SQUAS H 359

Squash Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Basil.

1 (2- to 3-pound) spaghetti squash

1 tablespoon pure olive oil (optional)

5 cups Quick Tomato Sauce,including the basil (page 337)

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggianocheese

Squash Spaghetti with Tomatoes and Basil

Spaghetti squash makes a lean and unexpected alternative to regular pasta and a

delightful surprise for jaded guests and family.

MAKES 4 MAIN-COURSE SERVINGS

Preheat the oven to 375F.Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place it on an oiled sheet pan, flat sidedown. Bake for about 1 hour, until easily penetrated with a skewer. Pull the spa-ghetti out with a fork so it separates into strands.

If the spaghetti was baked in advance and has grown cold, reheat it in a table-spoon of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Pour over theheated tomato sauce, toss or stir gently, and serve on hot plates. Pass the Parmesancheese at the table.


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SUMMER SQUASH AND ZUCCHINI 319

Pan-Fried Sage-Scented Zucchini Pancakes

These delightful little pancakes make a great side dish any time of the year. You

can substitute other herbsmarjoram, oregano, thymefor the sage or Parme-

san cheese for the flour (see variation). The zucchini mixture can be prepared

ahead of time so youll need only to form the pancakes just before cooking.

MAKES 4 SIDE-DISH SERVINGS (4 PANCAKES)

Cut off the ends of the zucchini and cut the zucchini crosswise in half so you endup with 2 pieces about 4 inches long. Using a vegetable slicer or by hand, sliceeach of the zucchini pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. With a chefsknife, slice each of these into 1/8-inch-wide julienne strips. (If you have a Frenchmandoline you can use the julienne blades to julienne the zucchini in one step.)Rub the salt into the zucchini strips until the salt dissolves and you cant feel thegrains. Drain the zucchini in a colander for 30 minutes.

Combine the garlic, sage, and 6 tablespoons of the flour in a small mixing bowl.Stir the water into the flour mixture and work to a smooth paste with a smallwhisk.

Spread the remaining 6 tablespoons flour on a work surface.

Squeeze the zucchini in small batches in a tight fist to extract as much water asyou can. Gently stir the zucchini into the flour-water mixture and season withpepper. Form the mixture into hamburger-shaped pancakes about 1/2inch thickand about 4 inches across and gently flour them on both sides.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick frying pan or cast-ironskillet. (If you dont have a large enough pan, youll have to make the pancakesin two batches.) Gently slide the pancakes into the hot oil. Cook for about7 minutes on the first side until golden brown. Gently turn the patties over witha spatula and cook for 5 minutes on the other sideflatten them from time totime with the back of a spatula to compress them and make them thinner. Serve

immediately or reserve in a 200F oven for up to 30 minutes.

VARIATION:

Replace the flour in the sage and garlic mixture and the flour for coating withthe same amount of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Dont add anywater to the sage-garlic-cheese mixture.

4 medium zucchini

11/2tablespoons coarse salt

3 cloves garlic, minced and crushedto a paste

9 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

3/4cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons water

Freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pan-Fried Sage-Scented Zucchini Cakes.

Flipping zucchini cakes.


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Copyright 2012 by James Peterson

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the

Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

www.tenspeed.com

Original ly published in the United States by William Morrow and

Company, Inc., New York, in 1998.

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered

trademarks of Random House Inc.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Peterson, James.

Vegetables / by James Peterson. Rev. ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Cooking (Vegetables) I. Title.

TX801.P49 2012

641.65dc23

2011027973

ISBN 978-1-60774-026-1

eISBN 978-1-60774-205-0

Printed in China

Design by Nancy Austin

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Ten Speed Press Edition


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