Summer vegetable melange

Last night I retrieved the farmers market vegetables that were in the fridge and put together this beautiful melange. How can you go wrong with baby zucchini, tomatoes and corn on the cob?



1 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
8 baby zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into small chunks
2 ears corn, kernels sliced from the cob
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves, sliced into strips

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add cumin seeds, cook for 1 minute, add onion and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato, lower heat and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet and cook until fairly tender and beginning to color. Add the corn and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir all ingredients, cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Note: I didn't know if the cumin seed and basil would work together but they tasted great.  I served the vegetables with chicken roasted with ginger and cilantro (see next post).

Crunchy Swiss Chard

  You don't normally think of swiss chard as crunchy but adding mustard and cumin seeds before sauteeing the greens, transforms them.  Toasted sliced almonds,  added at the last minute, provides even more oomph. Swiss chard has never tasted this good before.

1 tbl. vegetable oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 of an onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch swiss chard, leaves and stems separated and chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, lower heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds.  Cover skillet until the mustard seeds stop popping.  Add the onion and garlic and saute until onion is translucent. Add the chopped stems and continue to saute until the stems are tender.  Add the leaves and toss mixture with a big spoon.  Continue to cook the greens, mixing the ingredients occasionally until the greens are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste and sliced almonds.  Toss all and serve.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Note: The greens are also delicious at room temperature

Carrots with Coconut and Sesame Seeds

My kitchen is filled with interesting ingredients that I forget about until they are so old they have to be dumped. That makes me feel bad. I've been trying to remember what I already have on hand before darting out to get the next new spice, herb, etc. When I returned from the farmer's market with a big bunch of carrots I decided to jazz them up. I sliced and boiled them. Then tossed the carrots in some dried coconut, black sesame seeds and olive oil. Seasoned with a little salt and pepper, they were delish.

Thank you Deb for those black sesame seeds. They look great in the bright orange carrots and taste crunchy and intriguing.

Sauteed Oyster Mushrooms

Henry and I went to a local restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner. We shared this appetizer which is simplicity itself. It was so delicious that I bought some oyster mushrooms from the supermarket to see if I could replicate the taste at home. It worked. There is no secret ingredient or cooking technique. Just be sure that the mushrooms are very fresh. Served with crusty bread, the dish is heavenly.

olive oil

garlic, minced

oyster mushrooms, trimmed of stems and large caps halved

salt and pepper to taste

parsley, finely chopped (optional)

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and saute gently until garlic is just beginning to turn golden (about 2 minutes). Add the mushrooms and saute ingredients stirring gently for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and succulent. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with parsley, if using.

Potato Pancakes (Latkes)

I know that it is a little late in the season for a latke recipe. Chanukah has come and gone and I should be thinking about New Year's Eve. But latkes are delicious all year round and should be eaten more often than eight days in December (sounds like the title of a movie). My potato pancakes have few ingredients. That allows the potatoes to be the stars. Hand grating is tedious but essential and wringing out the water in a towel is messy but also essential. Make a small batch so that you aren't overwhelmed by it all. As always, applesauce or sour cream are perfect accompaniments. By the way, these latkes are gluten free, which may be important to a friend or family member. Thanks to Gourmet (Dec. 2000) for this recipe.

1 pound potatoes

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 large egg, lightly beaten

salt to taste

1/2 cup olive oil

Fill a large bowl with cold water. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate with a metal grater placing the grated potatoes in the bowl as you go. When all the potatoes are grated, let them soak in the cold water for another two minutes. Drain well in a colander.

Spread the grated potatoes and the onion on a kitchen towel. Twist the towel tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Transfer the potatoes and onions to a medium bowl and add egg and salt to blend.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Spoon 2 tbl. of potato mixture per latke into the skillet and flatten slightly with a fork. (You will be able to do four latkes at a time.) Reduce heat to medium and cook until browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Using a spatula, turn latkes over and brown second side, about 5 more minutes. Transfer browned latkes to a plate lined with paper towels. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

Makes 12-16 latkes

Notes: I used a two burner griddle which makes about 8 latkes at a time. If making the latkes in advance, reheat on a wire rack in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. This setup insures that the latkes will stay crispy.

Corn and Radish Salad With Spicy Lime Dressing

Years ago I discovered that raw corn is absolutely delicious in a salad. When you have had enough ears of roasted or steamed corn, why not try a cooler approach? Make this crunchy salad while fresh corn is at its peak. The recipe, by Nick Fauchald, was posted on Food and Wine's Website.

2 tbl. fresh lime juice

1 small jalapeno, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. honey

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

4 cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears depending on size)

6 medium radishes, halved and thinly sliced crosswise

1/2 cup coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced

In a blender, puree the lime juice, jalapeno, honey and cumin. With the machine on, add the oil. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the corn with the radishes, parsley, red onion and dressing. Season the salad with salt and pepper, transfer to plates and serve.

Serves 4

Braised Green Beans

Before you turn up your nose at vegetables cooked beyond al dente, I urge you to try these. Although really fresh green beans from the farmers market are best, supermarket beans will also taste great. You don't have to watch the pot to catch the beans when they are perfectly bright green. Relax. Let them cook slowly as they turn into a homey, deeply flavored vegetable dish.

1 tbl. olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound green beans, stems trimmed

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)

In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add the green beans, including any water that adheres to them. Season with salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients, cover the saucepan and lower the heat. Stir occasionally and add a few tablespoons of water if the vegetables look dry. Cook until the beans are dark green and tender, about 18 minutes. Add lemon juice, if desired. Can be served warm or room temperature.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Notes: I served the beans for dinner last night along with baked grouper and potatoes dressed with olive oil, vinegar and mustard. I'm looking forward to the leftovers tonight.

Chopped tomatoes, added to the pot along with the green beans, would be a delicious addition.

Spinach with Pine Nuts and Raisins

It's the beginning of May and I am longing for the local farmers markets to start selling all the yummy veggies I've been desperate for.  In yesterday's walk through the Union Square market I found the season is just getting underway.  There are asparagus, spinach  and lettuces.  I reached for the spinach and made a classic Mediterranean dish.  Pine nuts and raisins do wonderful things to spinach.  With a minimum of fuss you will have a great dish to serve with fish or chicken.  Another plus-the spinach can be served either warm or at room temperature.  I have adapted Joyce Goldstein's recipe in Cucina Ebraica.

2 1/2 pounds spinach

2 tbl. olive oil

2 small onions, finely diced

4 tbl. golden raisins, soaked in hot water and drained

4 tbl. pine nuts, toasted

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Rinse the spinach well and remove the stems.  Place in a large skillet with only the water clinging to the spinach leaves.  Cook over medium heat, turning, until the spinach is wilted.  This will take about 3-4 minutes.  Drain the spinach well and set it aside.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and place over medium heat.  Add the onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add the spinach, raisins, and pine nuts and saute briefly to warm through.  Season with salt and pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6 

Helene's Vegetable Medley for a Crowd

We are back from a wonderful week in Berlin. Since this is a food blog, I won't give details about the incredible museums, music and theatre.  But one thing I wasn't looking forward to was German food- all those wursts and pigs knuckles were a turnoff.  In the end we managed to have mostly very good meals.  What was missing, though, were freshly cooked vegetables that were not drenched in a gloppy sauce.  The one exception was potatoes. They were delish.

Helene's Vegetable Medley will make up for the vegetable deficit in Berlin. I make a version of it for every Thanksgiving and Passover Seder.  I am asked to  bring it to dinners and Rachel and Lisa ( my daughter and daughter-in-law) request that I make the Vegetable Medley when we visit them in Portland Oregon. The bright and colorful veggies will be on my seder table next week.

There is no real recipe but I will walk you through the process. I usually make lots  (for about 18 people) so you can adjust the amounts accordingly.  The only part that takes time is prepping the veggies.  If you have time earlier in the day ( or even the night before) you can get that part out of the way and refrigerate the veggies in separate plastic bags or containers.  Since there is no fry pan large enough to hold all these veggies, I saute the squash and peppers in batches in a fry pan and then transfer them to a large pot where they will all be cooked together.  This may sound like a complicated process but I assure you that it is not.  Please read the recipe through once and you will get the idea. I save the cooking brothy water and use it to make rice to accompany the veggies. You can dump the water if you wish.

3 bunches carrots, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick on an angle

3 bunches asparagus, trimmed and sliced 1 inch thick on an angle

4 zucchini, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

4 yellow summer squash, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 red peppers, seeded and sliced

2 yellow peppers, seeded and sliced

4 tbl. olive oil (add more as needed)

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced (optional)

juice of 2 lemons

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup fresh dill, finely chopped (or substitute basil) 

1. Fill a big pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until they are tender crisp.  ( They will be cooked again when added to the other vegetables).  Remove carrots from water with a slotted spoon, drain in colander and set aside.  Using the same water add the asparagus and cook until tender crisp.  Remove the asparagus with a slotted spoon, drain in colander and add to the cooked carrots.  Try to get the asparagus out of the water while they are still bright green.  (Reserve the cooking water if you wish, to use for soup or rice or just drain it)

2. In a large fry pan, add olive oil and heat till sizzling. Add garlic and optional ginger and saute for 1 minute.  Add  zucchini and saute until softened, stirring often. Transfer to a large pot big enough to hold all the veggies.  Add additional olive oil to the fry pan as needed.  Continue this until all the squash and peppers have been sauteed and are in the big pot.  Add the reserved cooked carrots and asparagus and mix all the veggies together. 

3. Over medium heat, cook the veggies until they are done to your liking.  Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Stir. Add the dill or basil and combine all ingredients well. The vegetable medley can be served immediately or held for an hour or two and gently reheated.  

Serves 18-20

Note: Ricka is known by many names. Helene is just one of them.

Roasted Beet Salad

It may not be evident from my postings so far, but what I love to cook best are vegetables. To my mind they are the most beautiful, interesting foods to prepare and eat.  This roasted beet salad is one of my most requested recipes.  Whenever it appears on the table, there is never any left over. The delicious combination of beets, Asian pear and almonds comes from a Gourmet recipe.  I simplified and lightened it up a little. If you don't have an Asian pear, try a tart apple or a firm ripe pear.  The taste will still be wonderful.  This dish might pleasantly surprise even those who dislike beets.

1 bunch beets, trimmed

1/4 cup sliced almonds

2 tbl olive oil

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 tbl. fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tbl. red wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. sugar

salt to taste

1 large Asian pear

3 cups mesclun salad (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Wrap beets in foil and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.  Unwrap beets and cool.

While beets are roasting, toast almonds in toaster oven or dry pan until slightly browned. (Be careful not to burn them.) Remove almonds from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together olive oil, shallot, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar and salt.  Peel and slice beets and add to dressing, tossing.  

Quarter and core Asian pear, cut into julienne strips and put on top of beets.  Sprinkle with the toasted almonds.  Either serve as is or put the beet salad atop the mesclun mix.

Notes: The salad is especially beautiful if it is made with red, golden yellow and striped chiogga beets.  Look for them at farmers markets during the summer.

The beets can be roasted a day or two in advance.

I usually prepare a green salad and serve it separately from the beet salad.