Fast, Fresh & Green (16 page)

I hope I’m not making this sound more complicated than it is. Because aside from the fact that you might have to get a colander or an extra pan out for this method, the recipes are relatively quick and very rewarding in flavor. Plus, often the boiling can be done ahead if you have the opportunity, so all you have to do is sauce at the end.

If you’re looking for something simple, start with the foundation recipe, which is based on a chart of cooking times and ideal cuts for some popular vegetables. I’ve given you a couple of quick ways to flavor them, but you can also steal one of the sauces from another recipe in this chapter or another part of the book. Keep in mind that I’m using the word “sauces” loosely. One sauce could be as simple as a drizzle of infused oil; another could be a more complex sauté of aromatics.

To become comfortable and efficient using this technique, get in the habit of setting up the two-step process before you do anything else. Put a large pot of water on one burner on the stove, and a medium skillet on another. Put a few layers of dish towels on a work surface near the stove or on a sheet pan. Put a colander in the sink if you’ll be cooking leafy stuff or potatoes. Then you can get the water started while you prep the veggies. And while the vegetable cooks, you can make your simple flavor “boost” in a skillet.

Because the foundation recipe is meant to be a simple guide to a technique, I’ve kept the options for finishing very simple (these include a choice between butter and olive oil). You can easily dive right into one of the other recipes in the chapter if you’d like something racier. (Or you can use one of the Flavored Butters on
page 29
.) By now you must have read that fat acts as a transporter of valuable nutrients (not to mention flavor), so don’t be tempted to skip it altogether.

KOSHER SALT

12 TO 18 OZ/340 TO 515 G YOUR CHOICE OF VEGETABLE
(10 to 12 oz/ 285 to 340 g trimmed; see the table on
page 116
for choices and how to cut them)

2 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER OR EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 TSP MINCED FRESH GARLIC OR GINGER
(optional)

1 TSP FRESH LEMON OR LIME JUICE,
and more if needed

2 TSP FINELY CHOPPED FRESH PARSLEY, CHIVES, MINT, THYME, OR CILANTRO
(optional)

1
Fill a wide 4- to 5-qt/3.8- to 4.7-L pot
two-thirds full of water and add 2 tsp kosher salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the vegetable. (Potatoes are the exception here; start them in cold water.) Begin timing immediately (don’t wait for the water to return to a boil). Consult the table on
page 116
for approximate cooking times, and then begin checking a minute or two before the vegetable should be done. Bite into a piece to check for tenderness (or poke potatoes with a paring knife); continue cooking and tasting just until tender.

2
If cooking leafy greens
or potatoes, drain them well in a colander. For all other vegetables, use tongs to transfer the vegetable directly to dish towels to let some of the excess moisture evaporate. Squeeze as much water as possible out of the greens (you may need to run cool water over them briefly to be able to handle them).

3
Meanwhile
, in a medium (9- to 10-in/23- to 25-cm) nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat.

If using butter:
Heat the butter just until it has melted, add the garlic (if using) and cook until it is softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. (If not using the garlic, cook the butter until it turns a nutty brown color, 3 to 4 minutes [watch carefully]. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the 1 tsp lemon juice to it.

If using olive oil:
Heat the olive oil until it loosens and spreads out. Add the garlic (if using) and cook until it is softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the 1 tsp lemon juice.

4
Add the cooked vegetable
to the skillet. If using leafy greens, first give them one more squeeze before transferring them to the skillet. Season with ¼ to ½ tsp salt, and thoroughly stir all together. Add the fresh herbs (if using), stir, and toss again, and taste. Add more lemon juice or salt, if desired, and serve.

Serves 3 to 4

My friend Ruth Lively, who’s a terrific gardener and cook, tipped me off to dressing green beans while they’re still warm with nothing but a really flavorful extra-virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of coarse sea salt. The fragrant olive oil mixing with the warmth of the beans creates a flavor that’s just naturally delicious. Notching the flavor up just a bit isn’t a bad idea either, so I often use an infused oil and an herb salt to dress the beans. The Provençal combination I’m including here is a lemon-pepper oil and an herb salt that you can make with either lavender or rosemary.

I have a lot of lavender growing in my yard, and it’s taken me a while to figure out how to use it in the kitchen. I’ve found that just a little bit combined with a good sea salt, like fleur de sel, makes an intriguing condiment, not just for green beans, but also for other vegetables and grilled meats. That said, I certainly understand if it sounds too floral for you—opt for rosemary or just plain sea salt, but don’t be shy about the amount of salt you use. The lemon-pepper oil is really versatile; drizzle any extra on grilled fish or grilled bread. (Make some extra and keep it in the fridge.)

You will have to taste the green beans after a few minutes of cooking to get a sense of how firm they are—that way when you taste again in another minute, you’ll feel the difference. Keep cooking the beans just until you can easily bite through them (you won’t feel resistance). I assure you that they’ll still be green. You don’t want to overcook them, but undercooked beans have a slightly unpleasant, rubbery texture to them. How fast your beans cook will depend in part on how old and how big they are; you can remove thinner ones sooner than the rest.

Serve these beans in high summer with mustardy grilled chicken. Or just eat them with your fingers after dressing them.

2 TSP KOSHER SALT

1 LB/455 G GREEN BEANS,
stem ends trimmed

2 TBSP QUICK-INFUSED LEMON-PEPPER OIL
(recipe follows) or best-quality extra-virgin olive oil

½ TO 1 TSP PROVENçAL HERB SALT
(recipe follows) or coarse sea salt, preferably fleur de sel

1
Fill a large saucepan
half full with water, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Arrange a few layers of dish towels on a work surface to drain the beans. Add the beans to the boiling water and begin timing immediately. Boil until the beans are tender to the bite but still green, 5 to 8 minutes. (Begin tasting after 4 minutes; the cooking time will vary, depending on the age of the beans and how quickly your stove top returns water to a boil.) Don’t undercook, as toothy green beans are not the goal here. Drain the beans, or use tongs to lift them out of the water, and spread them out on the towels to let excess moisture drain and evaporate, about 5 minutes.

2
Transfer the beans
to a shallow serving dish and drizzle most of the oil over them. Sprinkle with some of the herb salt. Toss gently and add more oil to coat well and more herb salt. Taste a bean and add still more salt if you like (be generous!). Serve warm.

Serves 4

This oil keeps well in the fridge, so double or triple the amounts if you like and use it on grilled fish or any steamed vegetable.

2 TBSP EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

1 TBSP PACKED GRATED LEMON ZEST

8 COARSE GRINDS BLACK PEPPER

1
Pour the olive oil
into a small bowl and add the lemon zest and pepper. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes before using.

Yields 2 tablespoons

This salt delivers a lot of flavor. Lavender can be overpowering, though, so take care not to include more than ¼ tsp of chopped buds per ½ tsp of salt. Mix this not too long before using. This salt is delicious on roast lamb, as well as on warm green beans.

¼ TSP CHOPPED FRESH LAVENDER BUDS OR ROSEMARY LEAVES

½ TSP SEA SALT

1
In a small bowl
, combine the lavender with the salt and mix well with your fingers. Let sit for a few minutes before using.

Yields ¾ teaspoon

A funny thing happened when I sent out this recipe to some folks for cross-testing. Everyone came back and said they loved it, but that they had tried it with frozen peas after trying it with fresh, and had better results! This was because the “fresh” peas they got from the market were large, old, and starchy. Unfortunately, fresh peas should not really be available year-round at the grocery store, as they don’t store well. We should all enjoy them in late spring and early summer when we see them at the farmers’ market, or we should grow our own, because they’re sweet, tender, and delicious. If you do see fresh peas at the grocery store, they will definitely be fresher if they are still in the shell. The rest of the year, you shouldn’t think twice about using frozen peas. And this is just the recipe to dress them up and give them a bright flavor.

These peas are the perfect Easter side dish; serve with roast leg of lamb and buttered new potatoes. Or for weeknights, serve with seared lamb rib chops and a simple rice pilaf. If you don’t have scallions, you can use an equal amount of minced shallots. You can also substitute chives for the mint. And I’ve included a variation made with a little bit of coconut milk. Those would still be good with lamb, preferably grilled kebabs.

If you’re entertaining, you can boil the fresh peas or thaw the frozen peas ahead of time. It will take less than 10 minutes to finish them on the stove top at dinnertime.

KOSHER SALT

8 OZ/225 G SHELLED FRESH PEAS
(about 2 cups) or frozen peas (about 1½ cups)

2 TBSP UNSALTED BUTTER

4 LARGE SCALLIONS
(white and light green parts), thinly sliced

¼ CUP/60 ML HEAVY CREAM

2 TBSP FINELY CHOPPED FRESH MINT

½ TSP PACKED FINELY GRATED LEMON ZEST

FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER

1
If using fresh peas:
Fill a large saucepan half full with water and 2 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Drop the peas into the boiling water and cook until just tender (taste one or two), 2 minutes for smaller peas, 3 minutes for larger, older peas. Begin timing immediately; don’t wait for the water to return to a boil. Use a mesh strainer to transfer the peas to a dish towel or a few layers of paper towels to drain. Discard the water the peas were boiled in, but reserve the pot.

If using frozen peas:
Put the peas in a colander and run cold water over them for a few minutes until they’re mostly thawed. Spread them out on a few layers of dish towels to drain.