Sub Categories in Vegetables

Category of: Vegetables

Artichokes alla romana – it’s spring

April 27, 2015

I have been waiting for artichokes to arrive and they finally have. Nothing says spring to me like these compact soldiers wrapped in protective layers of thorny armor. I have written more about them here. Once you get past the initial intimidation this not-so-familiar vegetable tends to cause, you find that it really is a rather simple affair to work with. You slice it through the middle, peel back the thorny leaves around the stem... View Article

Red and yellow tomato salad (panzanella)

April 25, 2015

Not quite summer yet but these tomatoes were nice and sweet wherever they came from so I made a simple and naturally flavoured panzanella style salad. I am going to Italy, remember, so I am beginning to immerse myself in all things Italian. I kept it very simple letting the softness of the tomatoes and crunchy croutons play their part creating texture and the tangy juices of tomatoes mixed with the fruity olive oil and... View Article

Fingerling potatoes and radishes salad

April 20, 2015

Once spring and summer arrive we have potato salad on the menu often. I don’t make the traditional mayo based potato salad too often. The Italian and French salads, made with an olive oil and vinegar dressing, appeal to me more. I add other vegetables that are in season, like green beans, radishes, carrots, peas, whatever works with the potatoes. The other day I was looking at some food blogs and saw a beautiful image... View Article

Vegan Kale and potato soup with cashew cream

April 18, 2015

Funny I haven’t made kale soup before, especially because I make a lot of soups and tend to  have a pot of soup simmering at the back of the stove or a mason jar or two in the fridge with homemade simple and delicious soups. They are so easy to prepare and making dinner is simple if you have a nice soup on hand. Somehow I found myself with 4 bunches of kale in the... View Article

Spring radishes salad rolls

April 17, 2015

I was organizing my pantry the other day, determined to simplify and use what’s there. I am not a “shopping list” shopper and inevitable my pantry gets filled with stuff that excites me one moment and then languishes on the shelves, forgotten. One of these items was a bottle of Asian dipping sauce that looked enticing so I thought I’d make a few salad rolls to use the sauce with. They are always fun and... View Article

Beet and goat cheese salad

April 9, 2015

I was at the bookstore yet again the other day going through, what else, the cookbook section. There are so many new cookbooks and they are beautiful and tempting. One book that caught my eye and came home with me had an unusual title: Faking It: how to cook delicious food without really trying, by Valli Little. Valli was born into a restauranteur-family in the UK and had her formal chef training at Le London Cordon... View Article

Artichokes with lemon butter parsley sauce

April 6, 2015

The simplest way to prepare artichokes is to boil them in lemony water and serve with lemon butter. To eat them you peel back each leaf and scrape the fleshy part at the bottom of the leaf with your teeth. It’s not the most graceful way to eat but can be quite interesting, raising the leaf to your lips, closing your teeth on the flesh and slowly pulling the leaf back with the silky, fleshy... View Article

Asparagus with Soy caramel – from Mollie Katzen Heart of the Plate

March 31, 2015

Once in a while I like cooking with Asian flavours and asparagus lends itself beautifully to Asian flavour profile. One of my favourite recipes was from Barbara Tropp’s book, it was either China Moon or The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking. I no longer have either of these books and a quick peek on Amazon shows they are selling for almost $200 each, likely because they are long out of print. Of course I had... View Article

(Not) another kale and brussels sprouts salad

March 23, 2015

If there was one food trend in recent history that can be called the trend of the century it must be kale. I have already waxed poetic about it before so I won’t make you listen again but that’s my opinion and I am sticking to it. Kale just won’t go away, and it shouldn’t. Kale salads are now de rigueur on restaurant menus and some are quite appealing. It is a good mixer but... View Article

Grilled zucchini with herbed crumbs

March 21, 2015

I am a little under the influence of opera at the moment. The London Royal Opera broadcasted their Flying Dutchman Wagner’s opera to movie theatres worldwide and of course I never miss a performance if I can help it. This production ended on a tragic note, with the doomed Hollander taking off to the raging seas believing, mistakenly, that his last hope for redemption, his beloved Senta, was unfaithful, therefore unknowingly punishing him to eternal... View Article

Mandoline salad with honey lemon dressing

March 19, 2015

I call this a mandolin salad because I slice most of the veggies that go into it on a mandoline type slicer. It doesn’t have to be a fancy one, the small plastic gadgets that are readily available work just fine. You can use a knife, but unless you have very good knife skills, I suggest you use a mandoline. I vary the dressings from olive oil and vinegar to sweet and tangy to nut... View Article

Fingerling potatoes salad with roasted mini sweet peppers

March 18, 2015

Here is a beautiful spring salad, full of vibrant colours and unexpected flavours and textures. What’s in it? Steamed creamy fingerling potatoes, thinly sliced crunchy radishes and red onion, roasted sweet mini peppers and a few briny olives. Tying them together is a creamy-tangy sherry vinaigrette and a sprinkling of parsley. This salad disappeared so quickly that I had no time to photograph it except for the little bit you see in the image. The... View Article