In the summer and fall, preparing vegetables is so easy it takes almost no thought. Inspiration comes as much from the colorful abundance of newly harvested vegetables as it does from a recipe book. Winter, a season known for its scarcity of things fresh, asks more from the cook. The challenge is to add freshness and vigor to meals via the vegetable bin.
Modern air transport has made the job much easier than it was for the generations before us who relied on root cellars to get through the winter. So, too, has our unwillingness to abide by seasonal dictates. For a princely sum, the likes of asparagus and just-picked baby spinach can be had almost throughout the winter.
My own taste preferences lean toward simple preparations in winter as in summer. Perhaps as a holdover from the old days, I leave the asparagus for spring. In its place are many alluring options, earthier and far less luxurious, but appealing all the same.
Each of the three recipes that follow is based on a simple, readily available winter vegetable. All dispel the notion of a bleak winter table by flaunting freshness of flavor and style. They`re simple preparations that focus on the vegetable itself.
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An old culinary quip, by none other than Mark Twain, says that cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education. The two are, in fact, from the same family, which is more evident if you look at them side by side in the garden rather than at the supermarket. Like cabbage, cauliflower has a mild, sweetish flavor that is favorably enhanced by members of the onion family. Here, lightly browned bits of leek join the milky white buds of cauliflower in a partnership that favors both the color and taste.
CAULIFLOWER AND LEEKS IN LEMON BUTTER
Three to four servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 11 to 12 minutes
1 medium head cauliflower
2 medium leeks
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
1. Core the cauliflower, break it into 1-inch flowerettes and trim the thick stems. Cook in boiling salted water just until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Drain well and set aside. The cauliflower can be cooked up to two days in advance and refrigerated. Pat dry with a paper towel before using.
2. While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the leeks. Slit partly in half lengthwise, to within 1/2-inch of the root end. Rinse between the layers to remove the dirt. Slit them again, so the leaves are divided into quarters, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.
3. Melt the butter in a large skillet, preferably nonstick. Add the leeks and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until they are softened and some of them have begun to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower, lemon juice, salt and pepper, tossing lightly. Cook just until heated through. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately.
Microwave oven: Core the cauliflower with a sharp paring knife. Wrap the cauliflower in heavy-duty plastic wrap, making a close-fitting, airtight package. Place on a paper plate. Cook on high power (in a 650 watt oven) until it is tender in the center, about 11 minutes. To test, pierce it through the plastic with the tip of a sharp knife. Carefully unwrap and set aside. Follow steps 2 and 3 above because leeks taste best when cooked and browned on the stove.
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As a garnish or a side dish, I can`t imagine mushrooms looking any more beautiful than these. A touch of honey and balsamic vinegar turns the sauce a rich bronze that almost makes the mushrooms look gilded.
CARAMELIZED MUSHROOM CAPS
Three to four servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 9 to 12 minutes
1 pound large, uniformly sized mushrooms
2 1/2 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons tawny port
1. Wipe the mushrooms with a dampened paper towel or small, soft brush to remove the dirt and trim the stems flush with the bottoms of the caps. Save them for another use, if desired.
2. Put the oil, vinegar, honey and salt in a skillet just large enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer. Cook over high heat until it starts to sizzle, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms, rounded sides down. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid has cooked down to a rich syrup, turning them a deep bronze. The skillet will be very dry. This will take 6 to 8 minutes, depending on the size of the mushrooms. Turn the mushrooms over.
3. Add the port, pouring it over any browned spots in the skillet so they dissolve. Cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until most of the port has evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Adjust the seasoning and serve immediately. Although the mushrooms are best when freshly cooked, they can be made a day in advance. To reheat, drain the juice that has accumulated into a skillet and cook over high heat until it has thickened. Reduce the heat and add the mushrooms. Cook just until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Or reheat them on high power in a microwave oven.
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As good as these are, I don`t understand why this simple preparation isn`t more common. It`s a quick way to serve sweet potatoes and doesn`t rely on lots of sugar as so many recipes do. When they`re well browned-at the perfect point between cooked and burned-their natural sugar caramelizes into a blissfully crisp crunch. If you want to double the recipe, prepare them in separate pans or keep one batch warm in the oven. If the pan is overcrowded, the potatoes won`t brown properly.
SAUTEED SWEET POTATOES
Two to three servings
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 12 minutes
1 large sweet potato (12 ounces)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon safflower oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1. Scrub the potato and trim the ends, but do not peel it. Cut it into 1/8-inch slices, either with the all-purpose (4 mm.) slicer of a food processor or by hand.
2. Melt the butter with the oil in a 10-inch skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add the potatoes, spreading them in as even a layer as possible. Cook over high heat, turning occasionally, until they are well browned on both sides, about 12 minutes. For the best flavor, they should be almost blackened around the edges. Season with salt and serve immediately. –
COOKING QUICK AS A FLASH
I used to say that even if I didn`t use it for anything else, it would be worth owning a food processor for vegetables. Now I add a microwave oven as well. For all the things a microwave does, vegetables are its most stunning achievement, both in terms of the time-saving we associate with it and in overall quality. Here are some microwave tips for speedy vegetable cookery.
– The best general technique I`ve found for cooking vegetables is to wrap them in airtight packets of heavy plastic wrap. Pierce the packets with the point of a sharp knife so steam can escape. Put the packet on a paper plate for easier handling. Cook on high power to the desired doneness. Cooking time for each type of vegetable varies but is very fast. A pound of asparagus cooks in 4 minutes, snow peas in less than 2, whole artichokes in 5. To test, pierce right through the plastic with the point of a sharp knife.
– Hard vegetables with less moisture, like peeled, cut potatoes, should be cooked in a covered casserole with a small amount of water.
– Almost all vegetables, including mashed potatoes, reheat very well in the microwave. –
