Fast, Fresh & Green (15 page)

3
Turn the heat down
to medium-low, add the ham (the pan will sizzle), and continue to cook, stirring, until the ham gets a bit browned and slightly shrunken, and all the turnips feel tender (pierce with a paring knife or fork), 5 to 7 minutes more. (The turnips will turn from a whitish to a yellowish color when cooked through.) Don’t worry if some of the onion seems very dark.

4
Add the molasses-broth mixture
and the butter, remove the pan from the heat, and stir until the butter is melted, scraping to incorporate any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the vegetables sit for a few minutes, and stir and scrape again. Transfer them to a serving platter and garnish with the peanuts.

Serves 4

The combination of flavors and textures in this sauté makes it one of my favorites in this chapter. I love crunchy pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds), cool cilantro, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and smoky chipotle chile pepper. The very slow sautéing softens the texture and intensifies the flavor of a popular fall vegetable, butternut squash.

2 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 LB/455 G PEELED AND SEEDED BUTTERNUT SQUASH,
cut into ½-in/1.25-cm dice (about 4 cups)

1 MEDIUM-LARGE YELLOW ONION
(about 6 oz/170 g), cut into ½-in/1.25-cm dice

1 TSP KOSHER SALT

1 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER

¼ TSP GROUND CORIANDER

¼ TSP GROUND CUMIN

¹
/
₈
TSP CHIPOTLE CHILE POWDER

2 TSP PURE MAPLE SYRUP

1 TSP FRESH LIME JUICE

2 TBSP CHOPPED FRESH CILANTRO

1 OZ/30 G CRUMBLED FRESH GOAT CHEESE
(optional)

2 TBSP TOASTED PEPITAS
(Mexican pumpkin seeds; see tip on
page 36
)

1
In a large (12-in/30.5-cm) nonstick skillet
, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the squash, onion, and ¾ tsp of the salt. Toss thoroughly to coat. Cook, stirring with a silicone spatula only occasionally at first, and then more frequently as the vegetables brown, until the squash is tender and lightly browned and the onion is well browned, 20 to 22 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

2
In a small saucepan
, melt the butter over very low heat. Add the coriander, cumin, chile powder, and the remaining ¼ tsp salt, and cook, stirring, for a minute or two to soften the spices. Add the maple syrup, simmer for 15 to 30 seconds, and remove from the heat. Stir in the lime juice.

3
Drizzle the butter mixture
over the squash and stir thoroughly but gently with a silicone spatula to incorporate. Add the cilantro and fold it in gently. Transfer the squash to a small serving platter and sprinkle with the goat cheese (if using) and the pepitas. Let sit for a few minutes for the goat cheese to soften a bit and for the flavors to marry. Serve warm.

Serves 4

This one’s not for the vegetable wimp. During a slow sauté, carrots and fennel both gently caramelize and take on deep, earthy flavors. A bit of smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón) deepens the allure, and toasted hazelnuts add more intrigue. This would be the perfect side for the classic Spanish chicken and rice dish
arroz con pollo.

It does take time—about 30 minutes—to get the carrots and fennel to the perfect texture. But like most of the walk-away sautés, there’s not a heck of a lot you have to do during that time. Stir. Sip wine. Stir. Sip wine. That’s all. Oh, and you can fret a little when you think the pan is getting too brown. But it really isn’t a problem, I promise. Keep cooking until the carrots have shrunk in size quite a bit and are lightly browned all over (some pieces will be very brown). Test both the carrots and fennel with a paring knife to see if they’re done. If they still feel a little firm, just keep sautéing for a few more minutes.

To speed this along a bit, prep the carrots and fennel, get them cooking, then do the rest of the prep, including toasting the hazelnuts.

¼ CUP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 LB/455 G CARROTS,
peeled, trimmed, and cut into ¾-in/2-cm coins at the thin end and ½-inch/1.25-cm half-moons at the thick end

1 SMALL FENNEL BULB,
trimmed, cored, and cut into ¾-in/2-cm pieces (yielding 10 to 12 oz/285 to 340 g)

1 TSP KOSHER SALT

1 TBSP SHERRY OR RICE WINE

½ TSP SPANISH SMOKED PAPRIKA
(pimentón de la vera)

3 TBSP COARSELY CHOPPED TOASTED HAZELNUTS,
(see tip on
page 36
)

1
In a 10-in/25-cm straight-sided sauté pan
, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and fennel and season with the salt. Stir well with a silicone spatula to combine. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally at first, and more frequently as the pan begins to brown. Be patient, as it will not look like much is happening in the beginning. Keep stirring and cooking (and don’t worry about the pan browning), until the carrots have shrunken quite a bit, are tender (test with a paring knife) and somewhat browned, and the fennel is tender, 28 to 30 minutes.

2
Add the sherry to the pan
and stir well until it has almost evaporated. Sprinkle the paprika over the vegetables and stir for just a few seconds to incorporate the spice and release its flavor. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a minute. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the toasted hazelnuts.

Serves 3 to 4

This is the kind of dish Brussels sprouts were born to star in—earthy, rustic, and deeply flavored (gotta love those mushrooms). It’s just a wonderful example of how magical the transformation can be when you use this walk-away sautéing method. Please be adventurous and try this if you’ve never really been a fan of Brussels sprouts, as I do think you’ll change your mind.

Brussels sprouts vary in size from teeny-tiny to huge mini-cabbage hefties. In fact, I had one that weighed 0.2 oz/5 g and one that weighed 1.2 oz/35 g in the same batch. So to make sure they’ll all cook evenly, follow the prep instructions in the recipe.

Once the ingredients for this recipe are prepped, everything goes into the pan at the same time; then all you have to do is stir occasionally and be bold about cooking the vegetables until they are nicely browned. The result is a side dish that could really be a meal in itself with a bit of brown rice—or the perfect thing with roast chicken or pot roast some Sunday night.

1 LB/455 G BRUSSELS SPROUTS

8 OZ/225 G CREMINI
(baby bella)
MUSHROOMS,
wiped clean

¼ CUP/60 ML EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

2 OZ/60 G BACON,
cut into 1-in/2.5-cm pieces

2 SPRIGS FRESH ROSEMARY,
each about 4 in/10 cm long

1 TSP KOSHER SALT

2 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER,
cut into pieces

¼ LEMON

1
Trim the stem ends
of the Brussels sprouts. Cut the smallest sprouts into quarters. Cut the largest sprouts in half, and then cut each half into thirds. In both cases, cut lengthwise through the stem so that a piece of the core holds the leaves together. Cut the mushrooms in a similar fashion: Quarter the smallest ones, and cut the larger ones in half and then into thirds, lengthwise.

2
In a 10-in/25-cm straight-sided sauté pan
, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sprouts, mushrooms, bacon, and rosemary. Season with the salt and, using tongs, stir well to combine everything. The pan will be very crowded; that’s okay.

3
Turn the heat down
to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally at first and more frequently when the vegetables begin to brown, until the vegetables are well browned and the Brussels sprouts are tender (the stems may still be a bit firm), 28 to 30 minutes. (I like to use a metal spatula for turning the vegetables toward the end of cooking.) The bottom of the pan will be quite brown. Remove the pan from the heat, discard the rosemary, and add the butter pieces. Stir gently with a silicone spatula until all of the butter has melted. Give a generous squeeze of lemon over all and stir again. Taste and season with more lemon, if needed. Serve warm.

Serves 5

METHOD: Two-stepping (boil first, then sauce or sauté)

EQUIPMENT: Large, wide pot (4- to 5-qt/3.8- to 4.7-L capacity) or a large saucepan (about 3 qt/3 L); a sauté pan or small saucepan; colander; tongs; dish towels

HEAT: The stove top—high for boiling, low for saucing

RECIPES:
Foundation Recipe for Two-Stepping •
116

Provençal Green Beans with Lemon-Pepper Oil and Herbed Sea Salt •
118

Peas with Lemon, Mint, and Scallions •
121

Crushed Red Potatoes with Scallions, Pancetta, and Sour Cream •
124

Brown-Butter Asparagus with Pine Nuts •
126

Spicy Mustard Greens with Ginger-Garlic Cream •
127

Provençal Kale with Chorizo, Pimentón, and Honey •
128

Tuscan Kale with Maple, Ginger, and Pancetta •
129

Warm Parmesan Fava Beans with Shallots and Mint •
130

New Potato Salad with Fresh Peas, Lime, and Yogurt •
133

Green Bean, Snap Pea, and Pesto Salad with Cherry Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella •
134

What in the world, you’re wondering, is two-stepping? Sounds like an old-fashioned ballroom dance, doesn’t it? Well it is a little bit old-fashioned, because it involves boiling vegetables. I hate to use that word—boiling—because everyone cringes with bad memories of overcooked vegetables. But it wouldn’t be accurate to say that we’re just blanching or even parboiling the vegetables in this chapter, as we’re actually boiling them until they’re tender—but
only
until tender. Then we’re treating them to a turn in the sauté pan, the saucepan, or the salad bowl to add flavor.

For many vegetables—especially tough leafy greens—boiling is really the quickest, easiest, and most reliable way to get consistently good results. Also, by boiling greens first, you can drain off the excess liquid they shed during cooking before you sauce them in a variety of different ways. In this chapter, for instance, I’ve made a warm maple-pancetta pan sauce for Tuscan kale, a creamy ginger and garlic sauce for mustard greens, and a Spanish-flavored mix of chorizo, honey, and smoked paprika for kale—three very different palettes for three greens.

This method is also perfect for delicate spring vegetables like fresh peas, fava beans, and fiddlehead ferns, which tend to get overcooked (or improperly cooked) with other cooking methods. Two-stepping is also a great way to cook dense vegetables, like potatoes, that you intend to use in salads. And it’s the absolute best way to achieve perfectly cooked (not undercooked!) green beans.

You’d think boiling would be pretty straightforward, but it’s the timing that is tricky. All of my recipes have been cross-tested on a variety of stoves and pots, but that doesn’t mean that the timing will be the same for you. How fast water returns to a boil after vegetables are dropped in depends on the power of your burners and the material of your pot. Also, different batches of the same kind of vegetable cook at different rates, depending on their age and size. So pretend you’re a chef-in-training and learn to taste for doneness. You’ll get to know the subtle differences in toughness and tenderness. For instance, greens like kale and mustard have a distinctly rubbery texture when undercooked. There’s a window of a few minutes when they begin to soften up before they start overcooking, and that’s when you want to nab them.

For boiling, I like to use a wide, shallow pot, called a Dutch oven. It does not have to be made of cast iron. Any 4- to 5-qt/3.8- to 4.7-L pot that’s wider than it is tall will do. If you don’t own a pot like this and plan to buy one, don’t skimp (get a heavy, thick-bottomed pot). This is the pot you’ll use to make small batches of stews and braises. A large, wide pot like this is usually ideal for boiling vegetables, because it allows plenty of room for water to surround the vegetables and cook them evenly. However, in some of these recipes, a pot with a smaller capacity (a 3-qt/3-L saucepan) will provide enough room.

You will also notice that I often let vegetables cool on dish towels. I think this is a gentle way of letting them steam off a little excess moisture, and they still stay relatively warm for two-stepping. You can arrange a few layers of dish towels right on your counter, or you can put the dish towels on top of a sheet pan that can be carried to the stove.