Vegetable Side Recipes

Cauliflower and Leek Rice

Cauliflower

Pair these sweet over-wintered veggies with a grain or pasta for a delicious, healthy meal.

1 medium leek, finely chopped
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch-wide florets
3-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup rice (6 3/4 ounces)
3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain. Blanch leek and cauliflower in a 4- to 5-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, 1 minute. Drain in a sieve and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain well.

Bring stock and water to a boil in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan and keep stock at a bare simmer, covered.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté cauliflower and leek, stirring, 2 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup simmering stock and cook at a strong simmer, stirring, until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue simmering and adding stock, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy looking, 20 to 25 minutes. (There may be leftover broth.)

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, remaining tablespoon butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Thin with a little remaining stock as desired and serve immediately.

I bet this could be made with orzo, instead of rice.

We thank epicurious.com for this recipe.

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Grain and Bean Soup

Kidney beans

“I like to stir in a big handful of cheese and garnish the top with some as well!” says Lynne Vea, PCC Chef.

1 cup Nash’s dried kidney beans (or any other dried beans, such as cannellini, navy, adzuki, black-eyed peas, etc. in any combination)
1/2 cup Nash’s whole grain wheat berries (kamut or barley also work)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrot, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
6 to 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 can (14 ounces) Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (or your favorite brand)
1/2 cup lentils (optional)
2 cups frozen tortellini
2 cups winter greens, such as chard, kale or collards, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Romano or Parmigiana cheese for garnish

Soak the beans and grains together in about 3 cups of cold water overnight. Drain and proceed with the recipe.

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the vegetables and herbs for 5 minutes. Add 6 cups of the stock, the tomatoes and the soaked beans and grains. Add the lentils here if you are using them. Bring to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the beans are tender. (Add a little more stock if the mixture is too thick.) Stir in the tortellini and the greens and cook for about 5 to 8 minutes more or until the pasta is just al dente. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve garnished with freshly grated Romano or Parmigiana cheese.

We thank Lynne Vea, PCC Chef, for this recipe. It appeared originally in PCC Fresh in January 2010.

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Over-Wintered Cauliflower

cauliflower

Over-wintered cauliflower is oh-so-sweet!

Our cauliflower was planted in August and grew all winter. The cold weather made it sweeter than normal. You can eat the leaves, too! Prepare them as you would any other leafy green veggie.

Roasted Cauliflower: Combine cauliflower, cubed rutabagas, potatoes, and spring onions on a cookie sheet or baking dish. Drizzle with oil and season with thyme, basil, oregano, chili pepper flakes, and slat/pepper. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover, turn veggies and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Steamed Cauliflower: Break cauliflower into florets and steam lightly. Drizzle with a puree of fresh berbs, garlic and oil before serving. Steam a combo of cubed cauliflower and rutabagas, then mash with lemon juice and fresh parsley.

Soup: Cube a leek, a medium head of cauliflower, garlic and a small potato or two. Boil in 8-10 cups of salted water or veggie/chicken stock until soft enough to puree in a blender. Return to soup pot and season with salt/pepper, thyme, and nutmeg (optional). Thicken by tossing in some lentils or rice.

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Sauteed Celery Root with Swiss Chard

Rainbow chard

“Because I love to cook, I’ll use any excuse to make dinner for my family or friends. Most of the recipes I concoct are partly based on how the ingredients look-presentation is very important to me,” says Dave Purdy of Hopewell, New Jersey. “Here, I combined celery root with Swiss chard because the colors and textures contrast so nicely.”

This tangy side dish would be good with roasted poultry or meat.

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 ounces celery root, peeled, cut into matchstick-size strips
1 pound Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add celery root and sauté until crisp-tender, about 8 minutes. Add chard; cover and cook until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

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