Roast Green Beans with (or without) Garlic

Intense flavor in a quick and easy dish

Markets are bursting with fresh produce in our part of the world. Including green beans (aka string beans or snap beans). So why not roast a mess of them?

Oven heat concentrates and deepens the (already wonderful) flavor of fresh vegetables. And roasting veggies requires little effort – prep work is minimal.

Best of all, these beanies are equally good served hot or cold. So they’re both dinner-party perfect and picnic friendly.

Braised Greens with White Beans

This vegan Italian-style dish makes a great side or main

Dark, leafy greens are some virtuous eats. Cooked Italian style, they bring on the flavor, too.

Best of all, greens cook quickly. So you can whip up this dish on a weeknight. It makes an extra-tasty side. Or pair it with some bread (we favor cornbread or garlic bread) and you have a complete meal.

Virtue never tasted so good.

Roast Carrots and Parsnips with Herbs

The deep, sweet flavor of this dish will please even the veggie averse

Roasting concentrates the flavor of veggies, coaxing out their savor and natural sweetness. Which makes roast vegetables perfect for a festive dinner – such as, say, Thanksgiving.

These roast carrots and parsnips aren’t just something you’ll eat because “they’re good for you.” In fact, their flavor is so inviting, you may find them stealing the spotlight from your main dish.

Moral of the story? Make extra. Loads extra.

Asparagus with Savory Whipped Cream

Surprise your taste buds with a recipe from Alice B. Toklas

Whipped cream tends to stay offstage until dessert time, when the sweets come out. But why? We know that cream partners well with salt and pepper. And many savory foods depend on it (think creamy mashed potatoes or luscious quiche).

So we’ve decided to let whipped cream step out early, dressed in savory seasoning–and chaperoned by asparagus.

Asparagus is elegant by nature, of course. But whipped cream brings out its playful side.

Curried Green Tomatoes

A spicy way to use end-of-season tomatoes

Throughout much of the US, we backyard veggie gardeners are mourning the end of growing season—and remembering the fresh, ripe tomatoes of summer.

We’re also faced with a culinary dilemma: What to do with all those green tomatoes that are still on the vines? They won’t have time to ripen, but we need to pick them before the first frost.

Green tomatoes may not be as alluring as their ripe alter egos, but they have tart, bright flavor. Which makes them exquisite when combined with spicy curry.

And cooking them takes just a few minutes. So you can have curry in a hurry.

Southern Green Beans with Bacon

This slow-cooked dish will make even the most finicky want to eat their veggies

When we serve green (string) beans these days, most of us cook them quickly (and minimally).  The idea is to preserve their fresh flavor — and let the beans retain a brilliant green hue.  Some people cook them so little that the beans still retain a bit of crunch.

But this recipe takes the opposite approach:  the beans slowly braise at low heat for at least 6 hours.  The result is green beans that are meltingly tender.  And the flavor?  It’s magnificent (almost haunting), enhanced by the bacon and onion that cook along with the beans all those hours.

This dish was once quite popular in the southern US states, and even outside them.  It’s an old-timey recipe that always seemed to be the specialty of a beloved grandmother or aunt.  Nowadays, it’s not seen all that much, which is too bad.  Admittedly, it’s a dish you wouldn’t want every week — most of us don’t have time to cook it that often, and the bacon does carry a caloric hit.  But it’s perfect for special occasions.

In the US, we’ll be celebrating Memorial Day on May 27 — and that’s always the unofficial start to summer eating.  This dish would be ideal for the barbecues, picnics, and cookouts that we’ll be attending or hosting.  So maybe (at least once this summer) you should release your inner grandmother and make this dish. 

It does take a while to cook, but the (delighted) response you get will be instant.

Braised Fennel

This Easy, Make-Ahead Dish Delivers Fen-tastic Flavor                   

Every January, I’m eager to eat my vegetables.  After an extended holiday blowout — which always seems to begin around Halloween and continue through New Year’s Day — I’m ready to seek out food that’s lighter and healthier.  Time to cut down on the sweets, and begin eating cleaner.

Fennel fits the bill wonderfully:  It’s nutritious and low in calories, but it also offers flavor that won’t quit.  It’s often served raw in salads.  When cooked, though, it turns into another veggie entirely.  In fact, the flavor mellows and becomes almost sweet. 

As noted last week in our post on Fennel Soup with Shrimp and Beans, fennel can be the star of the show. But it also makes an excellent side dish. Braised fennel is a perfect accompaniment to roast pork or poultry, and it pairs well with almost any fish you can imagine. And although it’s terrific hot from the oven, it’s just as good — maybe even better! — when served at room temperature. So it’s a perfect make-ahead dish for a big dinner.

Everyone at your table (kids included) will lap this up. Don’t you love January?

Roast Brussels Sprouts

For People Who Think They Don’t Like Brussels Sprouts 

You probably know how to eat Brussels sprouts, right?  Just politely push those little cabbage cubs around your plate.  Then pretend to forget them.  

Well, good news:  You can stop playing with your food now.  Because Roast Brussels Sprouts are actually edible.  Delicious, even. 

I know you may find that hard to believe.  But that’s probably because the only Brussels sprouts you’ve encountered have been overcooked.  As in, boiled to death.  And the truth is, if you cook Brussels sprouts too long, they turn into a stinky mess.  Nobody wants to eat a vegetable that’s been so badly mistreated.

Unlike lengthy boiling, roasting brings out the best in Brussels sprouts.  Roasting deepens and concentrates flavor, highlighting an inner sweetness that boiling obscures.  And roasting reveals hidden depths of flavor that most people find irresistible.

It’s a good thing Brussels sprouts are plentiful and inexpensive in the fall and winter, so you can indulge in your new favorite vegetable.  And with Thanksgiving later this week, they’re a great green veggie choice for your festive dinner.

Roasting is one of the easiest ways to cook this healthy and nutritious vegetable.  And they taste so great, even your most finicky eater will be asking for seconds.  Maybe thirds.

Roast Eggplant

A Quick, Healthy Way to Enjoy Eggplant’s Peak Season

Chances are you can find some nice-looking eggplant in your market right now — at the best prices of the year. That’s because eggplant’s peak season is from August through October (in the Northern hemisphere, at least). So now is the time to enjoy the rich flavor of this purple-hued veggie.

It’s a favorite around the world. Yet despite its beauty and great nutritional value, eggplant (also called aubergine) isn’t a major player in US kitchens.

Why? Two main reasons, it seems. First, eggplant can be bitter, so you need to spend some time dehydrating it (usually by salting) before cooking to draw out the juices that cause the bitter taste. Second, because eggplant has a spongy texture, if you sauté or fry it (as is common in the US) it absorbs loads of oil — resulting in a sodden, heavy dish.

Well, good news: Roasting eggplant takes care of both concerns! Modern eggplant isn’t that bitter to begin with, but the high heat of an oven evaporates whatever bitter juices may be present — essentially duplicating the end result of salting without all the trouble. And because eggplant cooks beautifully at high heat with minimal oil, roasting yields in a much lighter, healthier dish (one that goes well with roast chicken, beef, or pork).

Best yet? Once your oven is preheated, you can have eggplant on the table in under half an hour. Season it with fresh thyme or basil, and you have a taste sensation that even the most finicky eaters in your household will devour. Then they’ll demand seconds.

Spicy Potatoes with Ginger and Garlic

The Deep Flavor of this Vegan Indian Dish Will Make Your Tongue Smile

Of all the world’s cuisines, India’s may have the most numerous and flavorful recipes for potatoes.  Today’s dish is a good example:  It’s rich with ginger, garlic, and spices. 

Although these potatoes go well in a traditional Indian meal, they are equally at home when nestled up to a roast.  They have just enough spice and flavor to make you sit up and take notice, but not so much that they’ll dominate the entire meal.

They may dominate the dinnertime conversation, though, as your guests exclaim over their terrific flavor.

Roast Asparagus

Roasting Intensifies the Magnificent Flavor of this Springtime Favorite

Springtime means asparagus.  Oh sure, asparagus is available in our supermarkets year round.   And often it’s pretty good.  But early spring brings locally grown asparagus — the freshest and most succulent of the year. 

With Easter coming soon, what better vegetable to grace your table?  Not only is asparagus seasonally appropriate, it combines well with the ham or lamb that many people like to serve. 

Although asparagus is wonderful no matter how you cook it, I have a soft spot for Roast Asparagus.  This veggie has extraordinarily good flavor to begin with, but roasting deepens and concentrates it.

Roast Asparagus tastes equally good hot from the oven or cooked ahead and served at room temperature.  What’s more convenient than that?

Steamed Vegetables

The Perfect Way to Cook Your St. Patrick’s Day Cabbage 

This Saturday is St. Patrick’s Day, and many people will be celebrating with Corned Beef and cabbage.

It’s tempting to boil the cabbage in the same pot with the Corned Beef.  After all, you already have a big ‘ol piece of beef simmering in water, so why not plop your cabbage in along with it? 

Well, that works, and might be traditional.  But the salty broth your corned beef cooks in can mute the flavor of the cabbage.  And most people cook cabbage too long, resulting in an odor many find offensive.

A better way to cook cabbage — or just about any veggie — is to steam it separately.  It will taste much better, look more attractive, and retain more nutrients. 

And steaming is almost as easy as boiling.

Roast Belgian Endive

Roasting Is the Easiest Way to Cook this Versatile Vegetable 

Have you ever been in the supermarket and seen those cute little white, torpedo-shaped vegetables called Belgian endives — and wondered what to do with them?

Well, you can stop wondering. Earlier this week we discussed how to braise Belgian endive. And today we’re going to talk about roasting it, which is perhaps the easiest way to cook it.

And in my book, the tastiest.

Braised Belgian Endive

The Best Vegetable You Never Eat

When was the last time you ate Belgian endive?  That long ago?  Yeah, me too.

And when did you last cook it at home?  Probably never, if you’re like me.

What a shame.  Because Belgian endive has an appealing bitterness that mellows and sweetens when the vegetable is cooked.  It’s low in calories (each one has about 20), full of vitamins and minerals, and easy to prepare.  What’s not to like?

Roast Cauliflower

For People Who Think They Don’t Like Cauliflower

A lot of people say they don’t like cauliflower.  In most cases, that’s because they’ve only had cauliflower after it’s been boiled to death.  Bummer — too much boiling turns this vegetable into a bland mushy mess, and the unpleasant cabbagey cooking odor can be a turn-off.  Misguided cooks may try to cover up the mess with a mystery “cheese” or “white” sauce, and then bake the whole thing into submission.  Their guests suffer collateral damage. 

So cauliflower can be a tough sell.  But roast cauliflower?  It’s like a different vegetable.  Roasting deepens and concentrates flavor.  The vegetable becomes sweeter, and reveals hidden taste dimensions that most people find irresistible.

Best of all, it’s an easy recipe that practically cooks itself.

Roast Sweet Potatoes

When You’re Not in the Mood for Marshmallows

Everyone roasts meat and poultry.  And next week roast turkey will have the starring role on millions of festive Thanksgiving tables.  But roast vegetables?  Not so much. 

Too bad, because they’re delectable.  Roasting deepens and concentrates the flavor of vegetables, often revealing hidden layers of taste.  Roasting offers a flavor dimension you just won’t experience with the traditional T-day “candied yams.”

Sweet potatoes are ideal for roasting.  They’re naturally sweet — that’s why we call them sweet potatoes, no?  Roasting only emphasizes that sweetness, with no additional sugar (or marshmallows) needed.

Best of all?  Roast Sweet Potatoes take minimal preparation time.  And when cooking a big multi-dish meal like Thanksgiving dinner, who doesn’t want to reduce prep time?