A Good Dish

making food simpler

Dressing Spring Vegetables

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When artichokes and asparagus are as beautiful and fresh as they are right now, I want to make them often. A steamed artichoke is a treat with melted butter but is elevated to another state with a scrumptious dip. Hollandaise sauce, a traditional accompaniment to both artichokes and asparagus, has alway been too rich for me. Plus, unless I’ve met the chicken whose eggs I’m eating, anything with raw egg in it makes me feel squeamish.

dish by Kirk Mangus
dish by Kirk Mangus

Growing up, we dipped our artichoke leaves in a homemade mustardy vinaigrette with chopped, hard boiled eggs. My mother clipped vinrecipethe recipe from a monthly newsletter more than 40 years ago and still pulls it out out every spring to sauce artichokes. When I went to copy down the recipe decades ago, it was already worn and speckled with drops of oil and now my own copy looks much the same. The vinaigrette in the newsletter came from Paul Steindler, a Czech chef who ran La Popette restaurant in New York.

For years I made Mom’s recipe just as she had prepared it, but then it occurred to me that a few changes might suit me better. I swapped in apple cider vinegar for white distilled, replaced the white sugar with maple syrup and went back to the Dijon mustard that was in the original (not the bright yellow “French’s” hot dog mustard we used at home). The newsletter recipe called for half a cup of olive oil but that made the vinaigrette too rich for my taste and tolerance. I cut the oil to 2 tablespoons and instead of adding a chopped egg at the end, I added 2 hard boiled eggs and blended them completely to thicken it all into an unctuous and tangy dip, similar to but lighter than the original.

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We still celebrate spring with artichokes and asparagus dipped in this delicious mustardy vinaigrette and I feel good about making it. This combination of a vegetable with a protein makes it a meal, especially if you don’t want a heavy supper. If there is any sauce left over, it makes a pretty good dip for carrots or cold, cooked asparagus the next afternoon. You can prepare this vinaigrette ahead, as it will keep in the refrigerator a day or so, and just re-blend it while the artichokes or asparagus are steaming.

UN-HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

plate by Sabina Teutenberg
plate by Sabina Teutenberg

Blend well:

  • 3 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs Dijon mustard
  • 2 tsps maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1/4 tsp Worcester sauce
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper

Add and blend until smooth:

  • 2 hard boiled eggs, peeled

Great as a dip for artichokes (pour right into the center of a cooked and cleaned artichoke) or drizzled over steamed asparagus (or served in a small dish on the side). Store any leftover in the refrigerator for one day. Fills 4 large artichokes.

A Simple Green Salad

Any Season Salad Plate by Mary Briggs
Any Season Salad
Plate by Mary Briggs

I eat salad in some form almost every day. Eating salad helps me get in the daily minimum requirement of vegetables, fills me up and satisfies my desire for something crunchy, hopefully better than reaching for chips or crackers. Sometimes I make a generic tossed salad with whatever I happen to have in the crisper. Other times, I follow a recipe for a shredded cabbage, beet or carrot slaw (I will share these in future posts) or put together a composed salad from leftover cooked vegetables. What kind of salad I make depends on what is in season or available to buy.

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The following recipe is not extraordinary, just a simple, reliable salad based on ingredients that are almost always in stock at my local market (Mani Market on 94th and Columbus in New York) or at nearby chain stores like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods and will most likely be available at any good supermarket near you. I prefer to buy vegetables in season but in the northeast, that isn’t always possible. In summer and early fall, salad ingredients are abundant at our farmers’ markets but in other seasons, I depend on my local grocers. Bagged romaine (the 12 oz bag with 3 small heads), hothouse cukes, celery and fresh dill, all organic, are on their shelves year round. I think it is the dill that gives this particular salad its fresh taste while the rest of the vegetables provide crunch and textural variety.

This salad recipe is my go-to when I don’t have the energy to be creative. It comes together quickly so you can rely on making it in a pinch. It is a very basic recipe. Please vary it according to your preferences and the contents of your refrigerator. If you don’t like dill, use cilantro, chives or parsley. If you don’t have cucumbers, use green peppers or a leftover cooked vegetable such as asparagus or peas. And if you don’t have celery, use sliced daikon or jicama – something for crunch. If you don’t like sunflower seeds, use pumpkin or sesame or omit them completely. Finally, if you want to make this more of a main course salad, add a cup or so of crumbled feta cheese, cooked chicken or shrimp or cooked beans like kidney or cannellini. Fruit is a nice addition, especially orange or grapefruit sections. You can enrich the dressing, if you like it heavier, with a little yogurt or cream.

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ANY SEASON SALAD

Place in a large salad bowl:

  • 1 12 oz bag or 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn in bite sized pieces
  • 1 long hothouse cucumber (or 4-5 mini cukes), sliced in half moons
  • 4-5 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 generous cup chopped dill without the heavier stems (probably a whole small or half of a large bunch)
  • 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds (toasted adds flavor but raw is fine) – optional

For the dressing, mix together:

  • 2 TBs rice or apple cider vinegar
  • 3 TBs olive oil
  • Generous pinch each of salt, black pepper and garlic powder

Toss and serve. Feeds 4-6 as a side salad or, in our case, 2 with generous lunch leftovers. (Because the lettuce is romaine, this salad holds up well for the next day’s lunch).

 

Rethinking Watercress

I never paid much attention to watercress. For most of my life, it appeared only as an occasional garnish or in a salad in an upscale restaurant. Then one day, wanting something other than broccoli or bok choy, I ordered it as a cooked vegetable at our local Chinese restaurant. I was hooked! Bright green, garlicky, good texture (not mushy) and none of the bitterness of raw watercress – how could I resist? It was so flavorful that I was certain there had to be drawbacks: Surely it must contain MSG to make it taste so good? When I tried to replicate the dish in my kitchen, I was surprised when it was so easy to make. Just some chopped garlic sautéed in oil, a sprinkle of salt, a splash of broth or water and a lot more watercress than you might imagine – it shrinks almost as much as spinach. If you like a hearty helping of greens, plan at least one bunch per person. Leftovers are always welcome in our home – another vegetable for tomorrow that is already prepared.

Watercress is high in vitamins A, C and K among other nutrients and very low in calories (Let me Google that for you). More importantly to a cook, it is one of those green vegetables available at all times of year, especially valuable in winter and early spring when you are tired of kale and cauliflower. This simple recipe is especially delicious with mashed or boiled potatoes.

bowl by Mary Barringer
bowl by Mary Barringer

SAUTÉED WATERCRESS

  • 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 Tablespoon olive, avocado or grapeseed oil
  • 1 big pinch of kosher or sea salt
  • 2 bunches of watercress, washed and cut in half (or smaller if you prefer more delicate bites)
  • 1/4 cup stock or water

Heat a large sauté pan and then add oil.

Add garlic and salt, turn heat to medium and cook about one minute – do not brown.

Add watercress and stir until beginning to change color and wilt.

Add the broth or water and stir occasionally until most of the water has evaporated and the watercress has softened, about 3-4 minutes. Some like it still crisp while others prefer it limp. Try it at various points in cooking the first time you make it until you figure out how you like it prepared. Taste for salt and add more if you feel it needs it.

Feeds 2 (in our home) -4 people as a side dish.

A Fat Radish

IMG_2067I don’t love raw radishes but I do love their color. So I eat them when they arrive in the spring, not only because I think variety is healthy but also since I’ve read repeatedly that radishes are good for digestion. Plus, they are low in calories and high in fiber. My problem is that I don’t love their sharp taste. On a positive note, I have found that I dislike them less when I salt them and as I get older (maybe my de-sensitized tastebuds?). Eating raw, salted thinly-sliced radishes on buttered bread, as the French do, is delicious, which may have more to do with the wonderful taste of butter and bread. So why bother, you wonder?

Radishes are a fine source of dietary minerals. And they can be quite beautiful, especially the pink and purple ones. The watermelon radish, my favorite, is available late summer and fall and stores well into the winter and even spring in the fridge. This is a mildly spicy variety, which is good in small pieces in a salad, adding crunch and color. And the color – wow! A thin white ring surrounds the gorgeous magenta interior and just under the skin lies a bright lime green layer. If you peel it very lightly, yes, it resembles a slice of watermelon. A few slices enliven a crudite platter or a salad, but my favorite way to eat it is lightly sautéed. You can roast radishes alongside your other winter veggies like parsnip, rutabaga, carrot and beet but a simple sauté leaves a slight crunch while losing the sharp bite. The color is enough to brighten a dark winter table!

bowl by Silvie Granatelli
bowl by Silvie Granatelli

Sautéed Watermelon Radish

Wash and gently peel two radishes so as not to lose all of the green flesh that lies just under the surface. Cut in a large dice or into small triangles like watermelon slices. Heat a teaspoon or two of olive oil in a wide frying pan and when shimmering, sauté 2 cloves of minced garlic. Add a sprinkle of salt, add the radishes and a big pinch of thyme and black pepper. Cook, stirring often until starting to brown and the radish pierces easily with a fork but is not soft. Add a little water if they start to stick to the pan. Taste to see if you want more seasoning and serve warm.