Julia's Kitchen Wisdom (9 page)

THE BOIL/STEAM SYSTEM FOR VEGETABLES

This is an especially effective method for root vegetables such as carrots and small onions, as well as for store-bought green peas. Rather than boiling the vegetables in water to cover, then draining them, thus throwing out a lot of the flavor with the cooking liquid, you want to cover-cook them in a small amount of liquid. You then boil down that liquid to concentrate its flavor, and use it to sauce your vegetables.

BOIL/STEAM VEGETABLE CHART

•
Vegetable:
Green Peas
(2 lbs fresh store-bought peas in the pod, making about 3 cups, to serve 6)

•
Preparation:
Shell peas into a saucepan. Add 1 Tbs of soft butter, and ½ tsp each salt and sugar. By handfuls, bruise the peas roughly with the butter, sugar, and salt.

•
Cooking:
Pour in water almost to cover peas. Bring to boil, cover, and cook at the rapid boil 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.

•
Finishing:
Uncover and boil off liquid if necessary. Correct seasoning. Toss with more butter if you wish.

•
Vegetable:
Small White Onions
(12 to 16 onions, about 1 inch diameter, to serve 4)

•
Preparation:
To peel, drop onions into boiling water for exactly 1 minute. Drain and refresh in cold water. Shave off ends; slip off skins. Pierce a cross ¼ inch deep in root ends, to prevent bursting.

•
Cooking:
For “white-braised” onions: Arrange in 1 layer in a saucepan with chicken stock or water to come halfway up. Add 1 Tbs butter, season lightly, cover, and simmer slowly 25 minutes, or until tender. For “brown-braised” onions: Before steaming, sauté peeled onions in 1 layer in butter and oil until colored. Then add liquid, salt, and 1 tsp sugar; cover and cook as above.

•
Finishing:
1- Uncover, boil off excess liquid, and fold in another Tbs of butter if you wish.
2- For creamed onions: Add heavy cream to white-braised onions when they are just tender. Simmer several minutes until thickened, basting. Fold in chopped parsley if you wish.

•
Vegetable:
Carrots, Parsnips, Rutabagas, Turnips
(1½ lbs, to serve 5 or 6)

•
Preparation:
Peel the vegetables and cut into ¾- inch chunks.

•
Cooking:
Place in saucepan; add water to come halfway up the vegetables. Season with ½ tsp salt and, if you wish, 1 or 2 Tbs butter. Cover and boil hard over high heat 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and rapidly boil down liquid until evaporated.

•
Finishing:
1- Toss chunks with butter and chopped parsley and/or scallions, or with grated fresh ginger.
2- Purée steamed chunks in food mill or processor. Stir over moderate heat in a heavy pan to evaporate moisture. Stir in butter or heavy cream; season to taste.
3- Golden purée: Blend puréed carrots (or squash) with
mashed potatoes
.

•
Vegetable:
Winter Squash
(1½ lbs squash, to serve 5 or 6)

•
Preparation:
Cut in half and scrape out seeds and strings. Peel halves and cut into ¾-inch chunks

•
Cooking:
Cook as described above.

•
Finishing:
Purée as described above.

ROASTED OR BAKED VEGETABLES

Although they are synonymous, “roasted” sounds more exciting to the modern ear than “baked,” which has a rather dowdy and old-fashioned ring. I shall use whichever sounds best to me.

Tomatoes Provençal

Halved and baked with herbs, garlic, and crumbs. For 4 firm, ripe tomatoes, to serve 4. Halve, seed, and juice the
tomatoes
. Toss together ½ cup fresh white bread crumbs, 2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions, 2 cloves garlic, minced, 1 to 2 Tbs olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Salt lightly, and fill tomatoes with the crumb mixture.
Drizzle on olive oil and bake in the upper level of a preheated 400°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crumbs are lightly browned and tomatoes are softened but still hold their shape.

TOMATOES: PEELED, SEEDED, AND JUICED—FRESH TOMATO PULP.
To peel tomatoes, drop them into a large pan of rapidly boiling water and time the boil for exactly 10 seconds. Cut out the core, then peel the skin down from it. To seed and juice them, halve crosswise and gently squeeze to dislodge jelly and juice, poking out remaining seeds with your fingers. They are then usually chopped or diced (
concassées
) into “fresh tomato pulp.”

Baked Winter Squash

For 1½ pounds squash, to serve 4 to 6. To bake any winter squash, halve it and scrape out seeds and strings. Rub the inside with butter and seasonings, then bake in the lower-third level of a preheated 400°F oven until the flesh is soft and edible, usually an hour or more. Cut into serving portions and serve as is, or fill with any stuffing suitable for turkey and bake another ½ hour, basting several times with roasting juices or melted butter.

Baked Eggplant Slices and Eggplant “Pizza”

For 2 medium eggplants, about 3 pounds, to serve 5 or 6. Choose firm, shiny eggplants. Wash them and cut into ½-inch slices, salt lightly on both sides, and let sweat on paper towels 20 to 30 minutes. Pat dry, arrange on an oiled baking pan, and brush tops with olive oil. Sprinkle on dried Italian or
Provençal herbs
, cover with foil, and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 20 minutes, or until just tender. For eggplant “pizza,” spread tomato sauce (see box below) over each slice, and sprinkle with Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil. Brown under the broiler.

TOMATO SAUCE

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE.
For about 2½ cups, sauté ½ cup minced onions in 2 tablespoons olive oil, and when tender stir in 4 cups fresh tomato pulp or half fresh and half canned Italian plum tomatoes. Season with a pinch of thyme, a bay leaf, 2 large cloves of puréed garlic, and, if you wish, both a pinch of saffron threads and ¼ teaspoon dried orange peel. Salt lightly and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.

TOMATO FONDUE—A GARNISH.
Sauté 2 tablespoons minced shallots or scallions in 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter, and when tender bring to the boil with ¼ cup each of chicken stock and dry white French vermouth. When syrupy, blend in 2 cups fresh tomato pulp (see box above), a clove of minced garlic, and a good pinch of tarragon or basil. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes to cook
the tomatoes, then correct seasoning and fold in minced parsley.

Cauliflower au Gratin

To serve 5 or 6. For 3 cups of cooked cauliflower (
see charts
), prepare 2 to 2½ cups
béchamel sauce
. Fold ⅓ cup of coarsely grated Swiss cheese into the sauce, and spread a thin layer in a buttered shallow baking dish. Arrange the cauliflower in the dish, spoon over the remaining sauce, and sprinkle on ¼ cup of cheese. Bake in a preheated 425°F oven 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned on top.

VARIATIONS

• BROCCOLI OR BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
  Use exactly the same system as for cauliflower.
  

• ZUCCHINI AU GRATIN.
  Grate and sauté zucchini
  but save the squeezed-out zucchini juices. Make a
  velouté sauce
  , using 2 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons flour, and 1½ cups liquid (zucchini juices plus milk). Fold the zucchini into the sauce, spread in a buttered baking dish, and sprinkle over ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese. Bake in upper-third level of a 400°F oven until bubbling and browned, about 20 minutes.
  

SAUTÉED VEGETABLES

As always, sautéing is the easiest and fastest way to prepare vegetables. However, you always have to remember the added calories given you by that delicious butter or virgin olive oil you are using.

Sautéed Mushrooms

Keep in mind: 1 pound fresh mushrooms = 1 quart; ½ pound sliced fresh mushrooms = 2½ cups; ½ pound diced fresh mushrooms = 2 cups; ¾ pound (3 cups) sliced or quartered fresh mushrooms = 2 cups sautéed mushrooms.

For ¾ pound quartered fresh mushrooms, heat 1½ tablespoons butter and ½ tablespoon oil in a large frying pan, and when butter foam is subsiding, turn in the mushrooms. Sauté for several minutes, tossing frequently as the butter is absorbed and then reappears on the surface when the mushrooms begin to brown. Toss in ½ tablespoon chopped shallots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté another 30 seconds.

VARIATION

• MUSHROOM DUXELLES—FINELY DICED SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS.
  Finely dice ½ quart (½ pound) fresh mushrooms. By handfuls, twist them in the corner of a towel to extract their juices. Sauté as previously directed, adding chopped shallots at the end. For a wine flavoring, stir in 2 tablespoons dry port or Madeira and boil down briefly.
  

SIMMERED MUSHROOM CAPS.
For use as a garnish. Toss 10 large mushroom caps in a stainless-steel saucepan with ¼ cup water, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, a big pinch of salt, and 1 tablespoon butter. Simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes until just tender.

Pipérade—Sautéed Peppers and Onions

For 1½ cups. Sauté 1 sliced medium onion slowly in 2 tablespoons olive oil until tender but not browned. Add 1 sliced medium red pepper, 1 sliced green pepper, and a clove of puréed garlic. Season with a big pinch of
Provençal herbs
, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue sautéing several minutes over low heat, until peppers are tender.

Grated Sautéed Zucchini

For 1½ pounds, to serve 4. Grate the zucchini and toss in a colander with 1½ teaspoons salt; let steep 20 minutes. By handfuls, twist in the corner of a towel to extract juices. Sauté 1 tablespoon minced shallot briefly in a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, then add the zucchini and toss over high heat for 2 minutes or so, just until tender.

VARIATIONS

• CREAMED ZUCCHINI.
  When tender, stir in ½ cup of heavy cream and let simmer until absorbed, then fold with a tablespoon of chopped parsley or tarragon.
  

• GRATINÉED WITH CHEESE.