I began cooking professionally in 1986, and in the 30 years since, I have witnessed an enormous change in what winds up in a typical American restaurant meal. At an upscale ’80s eatery, vegetables were used to create plate-art, pared into lovely garnishes that weren’t necessarily integral to a meal.
But the eat local movement, and our new understanding about the human need for the kind of complex carbohydrates that come from whole foods, have revolutionized the way chefs think about recipes. Open one of the gorgeous restaurant cookbooks that came out in the past few years – Nopi by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ramael Scully springs to mind – and you will find vegetables filling much more of the plate than meat or fish. My hope is that this style of eating will find its way into all of our homes.
Here are three vegetable-centered recipes; all are easy to make, and filled with nutritious, inexpensive ingredients, especially if some of them come out of your own garden.
In the first, a light cauliflower soup is enriched by stirring in a spinach and pumpkin seed pesto. The fresh anise-scented herbs tarragon or chervil add an ethereal flavor layer to the spinach (and chervil is so cold-hardy, it will survive all winter in an unheated greenhouse), but if you can’t find either of them, leave them out or use basil instead.
The clam recipe can be prepared with any kind of greens that happen to be in season. I wait until clams go on sale to make it; in summer, you may even be able to dig your own.
The last recipe can be served as either a chutney or, adding yogurt, as a raita. Raita is typically served with spicy Indian meals to soothe the tongue. As a chutney, the mint-cilantro mixture is especially delicious served with grilled fish.
For the soup:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large leek
3 cloves garlic
1 head cauliflower (about 1½ pounds when cleaned)
6 cups water, chicken or vegetable stock
salt to taste
For serving:
chervil leaves and shelled pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
Melt the butter in a large stockpot over low heat; do not let it brown. Meanwhile, cut the roots and tough top off the leek, leaving some of the green leaves. Chop the leek into small pieces and place in a bowl of cold water and let the dirt sink to the bottom of the bowl. If necessary, lift the leeks from the water, clean out the bowl and repeat to remove all traces of dirt. Set the leeks aside in a colander to drain.
When the butter is melted, add the leeks to the pot and let them saute gently, so they soften. Do not let them brown.
Meanwhile, peel and mince or grate the garlic. Add the garlic to the softened leeks. Do not let it brown.
While the alliums are cooking, pull the leaves from the cauliflower, remove the core, and cut it into small pieces. Add the chopped cauliflower to the leeks and garlic and put the lid on the pot. Let the vegetables cook gently without browning for about 10 minutes.
Add the water or stock to the vegetables and simmer gently for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the cauliflower is very soft. If too much liquid is evaporating, place the lid on the pot. While the soup is cooking, make the spinach pesto.
When the cauliflower is meltingly soft, use an immersion blender to puree the soup, or place it in a food processor or blender in batches to puree.
Taste the mixture and add salt as needed (how much will depend on whether you used water or stock).
When the soup has been pureed, add about ¼ of the Spinach and Pumpkin Seed Pesto to the pot and stir well. Serve in warm bowls, garnished with pumpkin seeds and chervil leaves and passing the remaining pesto for diners to add as desired. Serves 6-8.
4 ounces spinach (about ½ bunch)
1 clove garlic
½ cup raw, shelled pumpkin seeds
several sprigs of fresh chervil or tarragon
¼ cup sunflower or other mild oil
¼ cup water
the juice of one large lime or 1 medium lemon
salt to taste
Heat a small, heavy skillet and add the pumpkin seeds. Let them cook, shaking the pan often, until they begin to puff a little and are barely beginning to brown. Remove from heat and pour onto a plate to cool.
Remove the large stems from the spinach and discard (or reserve for another use). Wash the spinach well in a bowl of cold water until all dirt is removed. Wash the chervil and tarragon, too. Set on a towel to dry.
Peel the garlic and smash it a little with the side of a knife.
Place all the ingredients, with the exception of the salt, in a blender or a food processor and pulse until pureed and fairly smooth. Taste, and add salt as desired. Makes about 1 cup.
For the steamed clams:
2 pounds little neck clams, scrubbed and soaked in cold water to purge grit
2 ounces bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, trimmed of roots, chopped into small pieces and soaked in cold water to remove grit
3 or 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
½ bunch parsley, washed and coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon hot pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup wine, preferably something unoaked and light, such as Vino Verde
For the greens:
½ a large bunch Lacinato or other kale, washed and chopped
1 large bunch arugula, washed and chopped (or use all kale)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces bacon, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Scrub and soak the clams at least a few hours before cooking them, especially if they are wild-caught. When you are ready to cook them, place the bacon and olive in a heavy pot and heat them over medium-low heat. When the bacon is becoming translucent, add the chopped leeks and garlic and let them soften but not brown.
Add the parsley, the pepper flakes and the wine and stir well. When the wine is bubbling, place the clams on the vegetables and put the lid on the pot. Allow the clams to cooks, shaking the pan now and then, until the clams begin to open. Remove the clams as they open to a bowl. When all the clams have opened, remove the pot from the flame. Strain the broth left in the bottom of the pot through cheesecloth or a coffee filter placed in a sieve (to remove any remaining grit) and reserve for cooking the greens. Discard the solids.
In a large skillet or pot, heat the oil, butter and bacon. When the bacon has rendered some of its fat (but is not brown), add the garlic and let it soften. Add the washed greens and the paprika. When they are soft, after about 5 to 10 minutes, add the strained (and grit-free) clam cooking liquid. Let the greens bubble for a minute or two, then taste them and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
Place the greens and liquid in a large serving bowl and arrange the cooked clams on top of them. Serve immediately, preferably with lots of crusty bread to soak up the juices. Serves 2-4.
For Chutney:
1 cup washed, packed and dried fresh mint leaves
1 cup washed, packed and dried fresh cilantro leaves
1 or 2 hot fresh green peppers (remove seeds if very hot), chopped
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 to 4 limes)
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon sugar
salt to taste
For raita (chutney with yogurt):
½ cup Cilantro and Mint Chutney
1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (or 1½ cups plain whole milk yogurt, drained for several hours to thicken)
To make the chutney: Place all the chutney ingredients except for the salt in a blender or a food processor. Pulse until pureed. Taste and add salt as needed. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If making raita, place 1 cup of Greek yogurt or well-drained whole milk yogurt in a bowl and swirl in ½ cup Cilantro and Mint Chutney. Serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.