Vegetable Side Recipes

Mellow Yellow Sunchoke Pickle

sunchokes handful

1½ lbs sunchokes (a.k.a. Jerusalem artichokes), thoroughly scrubbed and cut into ½-inch dice
1 teaspoon ground dried turmeric
1 ounces garlic (about 8 cloves), chopped
½ ounce fresh ginger, minced (about 1 ½ tablespoons)
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons pickling salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ cups water

Toss together sunchokes, turmeric, garlic, ginger, and cumin. Pack the mixture into a jar with a capacity of at least 6 cups. Dissolve salt and sugar in the water. Pour brine over sunchoke mixture; it will not cover them at first. Add a brine bag (a gallon freezer-weight plastic bag containing 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 3 cups water) or another suitable weight.

The next day the brine should cover the sunchokes. If it doesn’t, add more brine mixed in the same proportions.

Wait several days before tasting the pickle. After a week, the brine will be still sour, and the Jerusalem artichokes pleasantly, mildly spicy and still crunchy.

When the pickle has fermented enough to suit your taste, store the jar in the refrigerator. Keep sunchokes weighted and under the brine so they won’t take on a grayish cast.

We thank agardenerstable.com for this recipe.

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Roasted Beet Salsa with Skillet-Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower Salsa

rainbow beet waterfall4 medium beets, any kind
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 teaspoons shallots, finely diced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, finely diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
2 teaspoons lime juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Trim the tops off the beets and drizzle with the olive oil. Season the beets with salt and pepper, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 40-50 minutes. Let cool in the foil.

While the beets are roasting, place the shallot, jalapeno, ginger, garlic, mint, cilantro, lime juice and 6 tablespoons of olive oil in a small bowl and stir to combine.

When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Peel them by slipping the skins off with your fingers. Dice the beets and add salsa mixture, stirring to combine. Taste for seasoning. Served on a bed of arugula or spinach.

Browned Broccoli/Cauliflower
2 tablespoons oil
2 large stems broccoli
1 large cauliflower
2 to 3 cloves garlic

Heat a skillet over medium heat. While it’s heating, slice the garlic, broccoli and cauliflower from top to bottom into 1 inch slices. Toss in olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the veggies in a hot skillet, pressing them into the pan with a spatula. Cook them for 5 to 7 minutes, or until nicely browned. Once cooked, serve with shredded carrots or radishes.

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Moroccan Raw Carrot Salad

Carrots1 pound carrots, coarsely grated (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
2 to 4 cloves garlic, mashed or minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin or 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Pinch of salt
About 1/2 teaspoon harissa (Northwest African chili paste), 1 tablespoon minced green chilies, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)

In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days to allow the flavors to meld and permeate the carrots. Served chilled or at room temperature.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Stuffed and Baked Sweet Onions

Walla Walla onions

Walla Walla onions, oh so sweet!

2 green bell peppers
2 medium sweet onions
6 small tomatoes or 1 large, chopped
1 Tbsp. capers
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp. dried
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Thyme sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place bell peppers on foil-lined baking sheet and, with oven door partially open, broil 5 inches from heat, turning, for 5 minutes until skins blister. Remove and let cool. Place in paper bag, close it, and let stand 10 minutes to loosen skins. Peel, seed, and chop. Set aside.

Cut thin slice from bottom of each onion, forming a base. Cut about 1/3 off top, remove centers, leaving 1/2″ thick shells. Reserve top and centers for other dishes.

Stir together peppers, tomatoes, capers, basil, thyme, vinegar, salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into onion shells. Place in baking dish and bake, covered, for 50 minutes, until onion is quite soft but not collapsing. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.

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Classic Dijon Potato Salad with Fresh Dill

dill, bunched

Cut 1 ½ lbs red and/or Yukon potatoes in equal-sized pieces. In a medium saucepan, parboil until just fork-tender, but firm. Allow to cool.

Combine 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix in 1 Tbsp. capers and set aside. Grill potato halves on a grill pan over medium-high heat about 4 minutes or until browned. Turn over and cook the other side. Try to get nice grill marks on them. Toss potatoes in dressing until well-coated. Add ¼ small red onion, thinly sliced, and 2 chopped ribs of celery and toss everything together. Enjoy warm or cold, on a bed of arugula or chopped lettuce.

We thank onegreenplanet.org for this recipe.

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Fava Beans with Red Onion and Mint

Fava beans in the pod2.5 lb fresh fava beans, pods and membranes removed (makes about 3 cups)
1 tsp. plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
2 medium red onions, chopped
Fine sea salt
Generous handful of mint, roughly chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Cook fava beans with 1 teaspoon oil in boiling unsalted water until tender, 6 to 8 minutes, then drain.

Cook onions in remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until just crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add beans and cook until just heated through, then season with sea salt and pepper. Toss in mint. Serve immediately.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Asian Pickled Leek Scapes

Yields ½ pint. Recipe can be doubled or quadrupled.

½ cup rice vinegar
Small splash of fish sauce (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
1 leek bulb or shallot, thinly sliced
½ to 1 whole hot chili pepper, sliced
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
¼ tsp. salt
1 to 2 leek scapes, to total about 2½ feet in length, sliced thinly on the diagonal

Combine all but the sliced scapes in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the scapes and return to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to steep for 20 minutes.

Pour everything into a clean half-pint jar, tightly seal it, and give it a good shake to make sure all the aromatics in the brine are well-distributed. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours to allow the flavors to develop.

We thank The Daily Mail for this recipe.

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Curry Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower in the field

This year’s sweet overwintered cauliflower is our best-looking cauli crop yet!

¼ cup olive oil
2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
4 cups cauliflower florets, washed
2 Tbsp. slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix the olive oil, curry powder, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Drain the cauliflower florets and place in a 13 x 9” baking dish; pour the oil mixture over the florets and toss gently. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir in almonds mixing lightly. Return to oven and bake uncovered for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until cauliflower is browned and almonds are toasted.

We thank geniuskitchen.com for this recipe.

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Rutabaga Raab with Cheese Sauce

rutabaga raab

Springtime is the season for sweet & tender raabs!

1 bunch rutabaga raab
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
2 Tbsp. Nash’s soft white wheat flour
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt (to taste)

Steam or boil the raab. Don’t overcook though, as it is tender enough to eat raw.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk together milk and flour until blended; place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk in cheese until melted; whisk in mustard and salt.

Pour sauce over raab and toss until coated. For a little extra kick, whisk a dash of cayenne in the sauce with the mustard and salt.

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Grilled Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Tahini Dressing

Purple sprouting broccoli is a gorgeous and nutritious treat that graces our tables in the spring. As a member of the brassica family, it has detoxifying properties and is a great way for your body to cleanse. The deep purple color indicates a unique antioxidant profile and will also add some color variety to your plate. Additionally, it is an excellent source of vitamin C, which supports your immune system as the season shifts.

purple sprouting broccoli

Grilled Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Tahini Dressing

1 bunch of Nash’s purple sprouting broccoli
2 Tbsp. olive oil, plus extra to serve
½ clove garlic, crushed with a little salt
2 Tbsp. light tahini, stirred
½ lemon, zest finely grated, juiced
½ orange, juiced
½ tsp. clear honey
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil

For the dressing, put the garlic in a small bowl with the tahini, lemon zest and juice, orange juice, honey and a grind of black pepper. Stir well. Thin down by whisking in water, a tablespoon at a time, till the dressing has a creamy consistency. Gently stir in the oil and season to taste.

Trim the broccoli, removing any tough ends; slice any thick stems lengthwise. Steam over boiling water for three minutes, until just starting to soften but not fully tender. Or cook in boiling water for four minutes, until not quite tender, then drain well. The broccoli will be cooked further in the grill pan, so you want it under-done at this stage.

Put two tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper into a bowl. Add the broccoli, toss it in the seasoning and oil. Heat a ridged cast-iron grill pan over a high heat. When hot, add the broccoli and sear for five to seven minutes, turning from time to time, until tender and patched with dark brown char marks. Transfer to a warm dish, trickle over some of the dressing, add a little more salt and pepper, and an extra dash of olive oil, and serve.

We thank theguardian.com for this recipe.

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