Spring Root Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

I recently relocated back to Montana, where spring is just beginning and the temperatures are still cool.  The local farmer’s market is in full swing but fresh vegetables are just starting to arrive.  Among them are radishes and Japanese or baby turnips, some of the most delicious brassicas due to their spicy yet tender nature.  Turnips are so often overlooked or overcooked and radishes are rare, generally relegated to salads and garnish, I wanted to offer a spring side dish featuring both roots in all their flavorful glory.  Though both brassicas can easily be eaten raw, steaming them mellows their flavor and softens their crunch.  I have a variety of fresh herbs growing on my back porch and I simply pruned a few, chopped them and added them to the marinade, which leads me to believe most combinations would be excellent.  These spring root vegetables would go well with a leek galette and roasted green beans.

I used a combination of savory, basil, parsley and sage in the marinade, but any fresh herbs will work.

1 bunch or 8-10 radishes, trimmed and halved if large

1 bunch or 8-10 Japanese or baby turnips, trimmed and halved if large

1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Combine herbs, olive oil and red onion in a small bowl and set aside.  Meanwhile, steam the turnips and radishes until barely tender.  Once the vegetables are tender, remove from heat, place in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. After the vegetables have cooled slightly, pour the marinade over the vegetables and gently fold to thoroughly combine.  Marinate for at least one hour before serving.  

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.  

Serves 3-4

Tabbouleh

Edible herbs are part of longstanding culinary traditions in the Middle East, so much so that the word tabbouleh comes from tabil, the Arabic term for seasoning. Tabbouleh, a traditional Middle Eastern salad served as part of lunch and dinner, is most often made from fresh herbs, tomatoes and bulgur. Wheat berries are made into bulgur through a process of soaking, cooking, drying and cracking the whole kernels and is one of the oldest human culinary uses of wheat. Depending on the region, different tabbouleh recipes may have different proportions of bulgur to fresh herbs; however, I like to make mine about equal, so the herbs are fragrant against the chewy texture of the wheat berries. Homemade tabbouleh is delicious with roasted eggplant salad and balsamic marinated vegetables.

½ c bulgur

1 bunch parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp mint, finely chopped

1 medium tomato, finely diced

1 small onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

1 lemon, juiced

½ tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Soak the bulgar in water until tender, about 1 hour, drain thoroughly and set aside in a medium-mixing bowl.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the bulgar and gently fold to combine. Marinate the tabbouleh for at least an hour before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4

Caramelized Fennel

I have always loved the flavors of licorice and anise and so it should be no surprise, though the flavors are different, fennel is a particularly appealing vegetable to me and tends to be slightly under utilized in the American kitchen. Fennel, along with coriander, parsley, dill and carrot, is a member of the Umbellifereae family and native to southern Europe where it has been cultivated for medicinal and culinary purposes for thousands of years and continues to be a mainstay of Italian, French and Mediterranean cooking. Along with most vegetables, fennel provides a great amount of nutrition including Vitamin C, phytonutrients and fiber. The bulb, stalk and fronds of fennel, generally sold together, are all delightfully edible and can be eaten together or separately, raw or cooked, depending upon your culinary preference. Caramelized fennel is delicious along side orange pecan kale and feta roast potatoes.

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and sliced into thin wedges

½ c fennel fronds, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss fennel bulbs with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread evenly in a baking dish and place in the oven. Roast fennel until deep golden brown and caramelized, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning and sticking.

2. Remove fennel from oven and toss with chopped fennel fronds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, room temperature or chilled. Serves 3-4

Portobello Mushrooms

Frankly, portobello mushrooms are not my favorite, I often find them much more tough and dry than most mushrooms, maybe because we consume them at an older age than most other mushrooms. However, when portobellos are allowed to braise slowly with onions, fresh herbs and garlic, they become very flavorful and quite delicious. Portobellos, conversely portabellas, are, in fact, a mature variation of Agaricus bisporus, the common white or brown mushroom native to Europe and North America, which is known by many different names depending upon their coloring, age and location. Braising the mushroom cap on top of the onion gill side up, lets the onion caramelize and the mushroom to braise in its own juices, creating a rich and hearty dish. They are lovely served with greens, asparagus and salad.

4 portobello mushrooms, stems removed

1 small onion, sliced into 4 ¼" thick rounds

4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped

4 sprigs rosemary

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet or shallow pan with olive oil and arrange the onion rounds so they are evenly spaced in the skillet or pan. Place the portobello mushroom caps on top of the onion rounds, gill side up. Generously season the mushrooms and place a clove of garlic and sprig of rosemary on each mushroom cap.

2. Turn the heat on to medium-low, cover the mushrooms and braise until tender, 15-20 minutes. Occasionally check the heat, to make sure the onions are not burning, and reduce as necessary. Once the mushrooms are fully cooked and tender, remove from heat and set aside for 5-10 minutes.

3. Serve the portobello mushrooms warm, along with the cooked onions and juices from the pan, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 portobello mushrooms

Ratatouille

From the French term touiller, to toss food, ratatouille is believed to have originated as a dish made by peasants around Nice in the Provence region of France as ratatouille niçoise, influenced from neighboring Spanish and Italian cuisine. Essentially a stewed vegetable dish, ratatouille generally contains eggplant, summer squash, bell peppers and tomatoes, which are baked, braised, roasted, sautéed or stewed with various herbs, garlic and onion. Because ratatouille can be made any number of ways using any number of ingredients, it is an easy and delicious dish to prepare and serve as an entrée, side dish or leftover. Baking the vegetables gives helps retain their integrity and them a rich flavor. Socca, beets and tangerines or polenta go well to compliment ratatouille.

1 small eggplant, thinly sliced into rounds

1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds

1 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced into rounds

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced into rounds

1 large tomato, diced

1 tbsp basil, roughly chopped

1 tsp parsley, roughly chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until lightly browned, 5-10 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and continue sautéing until the tomatoes are tender and beginning to form a sauce. Fold in the basil and parsley, simmer until herbs are fragrant and remove from heat. Cool slightly before placing tomatoes in a food processor, purée into a fine sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread sauce evenly on the bottom of a medium baking dish, roughly 9"x9". Layer the eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash and red bell pepper evenly on the sauce. Drizzle the remaining olive oil on top and season with salt and pepper.

3. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake until vegetables are tender and lightly browned on top, 30-45 minutes. Remove the ratatouille from the oven and set aside to cool slightly. Top with Parmesan, goat or cheese of choice and serve ratatouille warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Roasted Cauliflower

Sometimes it seems cauliflower is relegated to being overcooked and covered with thick sauces, neither of which seem to truly compliment the vegetable itself. Cauliflower, another member of the cruciferous family and so an ancestor of wild cabbage from Asia, widely cultivated in the Mediterranean thousands of years ago, popular in 16th century Europe and now commonly eaten around the world. Cauliflower, like other cruciferous vegetables, is high in nutritional value related to the antioxidant, detoxification and anti-inflammatory systems of the human body and comes in a variety of colors other than the typical white including orange, green and purple. Lightly roasting cauliflower brings out its delicious flavor while slightly maintaining its nice crunch. Roasted cauliflower goes very well with pumpkin purée or warm lentil salad.

1 head cauliflower, florets trimmed from stem

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread cauliflower evenly on a baking sheet.

2. Place cauliflower in oven and bake until tender, 8-12 minutes, stir occasionally to cook evenly and prevent overcooking. Remove cauliflower from oven and adjust seasoning as desired. Serve cauliflower warm or room temperature.

Serves 3-4

Kale Chips

Kale, a member of the brassica family, is a nutrient rich and delicious vegetable, which is gaining popularity in American cuisine. Kale contains antioxidants, anti-inflammatory benefits, cancer-preventing phytonutriets, cholesterol-lowering properties, detoxification support, fiber and a host of other important vitamins and nutrients. As kale becomes an increasingly popular vegetable, there is an increase in the varieties available, which creates more culinary possibilities and options. I like to prepare kale using any number of different techniques and in a host of different recipes. Kale chips are one way to consume kale on its own, as a snack, or in addition to soups and salads.

Any variety of kale will work, though the larger the leaf the greater amount of chips.

1 bunch kale, washed

¼ c olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely pressed

salt and pepper

1. Combine olive oil and garlic in a small bowl and set aside to marinate for 1-2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Remove kale ribs from leaves, and place leaves in a large mixing bowl. Add garlic and olive oil and thoroughly massage onto leaves until they are well coated. Season leaves to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Spread leaves evenly on a baking sheet. Place kale in oven and bake until crisp but still green, 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent over cooking. Remove from heat and adjust seasoning as desired.

Makes about 4 c

Roasted Eggplants with Tomatoes and Feta

Eggplant, native to India, is an edible fruit, truly a berry, in the nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes and potatoes. Eggplants are presently cultivated and consumed throughout the world and grow in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colors. The seeds of eggplant tend to be bitter due to the nicotine, an alkaloid found in the nightshade family, contained within them, making eggplants the most nicotine rich edible fruit humans consume. Roasting eggplants creates an especially rich and earthy flavor and they taste great served at any temperature. Roasted eggplants with tomatoes and feta are delicious pared with socca, braised lentils and tangerine beet salad.

Any variety of eggplant may be used with minor adjustments for size and shape.

6 small Japanese eggplant, trimmed and quartered lengthwise

½ tomato, finely diced

¼ red bell pepper, trimmed and finely diced

¼ onion, trimmed and finely diced

1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped

½ c feta

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp rosemary, stem removed and finely chopped

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread eggplant on a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place eggplant in the oven and roast until tender, 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine feta, tomato, bell pepper, onion, garlic, herbs and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve roasted eggplant on a bed of greens and top with tomatoes and feta. Serve eggplant warm, room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4

Shaved Summer Squash Salad

Zucchinis and yellow or summer squash are actually both summer squash, a term used to separate these soft immature squash from the hard mature squash we eat called winter squash. Though squash is a new world plant, what we know as zucchini was developed in Italy after the squash plant was introduced to Europe by explorers. The term zucchini, from the Italian zucchina or zucchine for small squash, is used in the States and Australia, whereas many other countries in the world refer to zucchini as courgette from the French for petite squash. Because summer squash are picked immature they can be easily eaten raw, as they are very tender and so delicious in salads. Shaved summer squash salad goes well with a multitude of dishes including warm lentil salad, gnocchi and rye berry salad.

For Kim, who introduced me to a similar dish last summer.

2 small zucchini, trimmed and thinly shaved into rounds

2 small summer squash, trimmed and thinly shaved into rounds

¼ red bell pepper, finely diced

1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

¼ c parmesan, finely shaved or grated

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Thinly shave summer squash and zucchini into rounds, using either a mandolin or sharp knife. Once squash are shaved, place in a medium-mixing bowl.

2. Add bell pepper, parsley, parmesan and olive oil. Gently toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

3. Serve salad room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4

Roasted Okra

Okra, also referred to as lady's fingers or gumbo, is the seedpod of a flowering plant in the mallow family from the old world. Popular in Asian and African cuisines, okra made its way to the Americas on slave ships from Africa during the 17th century and has since been a staple of Southern cuisine. Mucilage, produced by most plants and microorganisms, is the mucus surrounding the seeds within the okra pod, which becomes especially thick with cooking. Different methods of cooking can be used to reduce the thickness of the mucus including leaving pods whole, using acidic ingredients, cooking quickly and roasting, which is a deliciously simple way to prepare okra. Roast okra can be eaten with hummus and baba ghanoush or served along side braised pork or chicken and of course collard greens.

½ lb okra

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss okra with olive oil until well coated.

2. Spread okra out on a large baking sheet and place in oven. Roast until tender and golden brown, 10-15 minutes.

3. Once tender, remove okra from oven and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Serve roast okra warm, room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4

Coleslaw with Rice Vinaigrette

The term coleslaw comes from the Dutch term for cabbage salad, koolsalade. Domesticated cabbage originated as a wild mustard plant, which grew along the Mediterranean seacoast. Cabbage is a great addition to any diet because it is high in vitamin C, vitamin K and fiber, among other nutritional properties. Coleslaws have become one of the more popular salads in American cuisine, but all too often they are drenched with creamy dressings, which can detract from both the flavor of the vegetables and their general appeal. Vinaigrettes make a lovely dressing for coleslaw, as cabbage and vinegar compliment each other and the colors and flavors of the vegetables are still able to shine. Coleslaws are a delicious addition to any number menus including Mexican, Thai, Mediterranean and American. Smashed new potatoes or purple potato salad are both delicious with coleslaw.

Any variety of cabbage may be used.

1 small head cabbage, quartered and thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, trimmed and grated

¼ red bell pepper, finely diced

1 small white onion, finely diced

¼ c peas

¼ c almonds, sliced and toasted

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

2 tsp rice vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Toss cabbage, carrot, red bell pepper, onion peas and almonds together in a medium mixing bowl.

2. In a small bowl, combine parsley, vinegar and brown sugar. Continue stirring or set aside until sugar has dissolved. Once sugar is dissolved, add olive oil and stir to combine.

3. Pour dressing over prepared vegetables and thoroughly toss to combine. Place coleslaw in fridge and marinate coleslaw at least one hour.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Serves 3-4