Glen Arbor Sun

Nutritionists and health professionals sing praises to the vegetable’s fine tastes and healing qualities. Broccoli, Brussels sprouts and turnips fight cancer. Garlic and onions act as blood thinners to help prevent heart disease. Celery lowers blood pressure. Tomatoes discourage prostate cancer. Apples and squash stabilize blood sugar. Raw cabbage juice eases ulcers. Shell beans reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. You name it and there is a vegetable or fruit to relieve it.

So why aren’t we all eating more vegetables? Perhaps it’s because we’re vegetable challenged. As children, many of us never saw fresh watercress, kale, fresh fennel bulb or spicy arugula — let alone learned what to do with them. Most of us knew only corn, green beans and spinach from the freezer, asparagus from a can and potatoes from McDonald’s. It’s a pity.

Could it be that vegetables refuse to knuckle under to someone else’s consistent standards? You might buy huge yellow ears of corn one day and the next, smaller, white-kerneled ears. Cauliflower might turn up pale white one week and glowing purple the next. You never know about produce: that’s its delight and downfall. You can’t expect it to act and taste the same. Each piece is an individual that demands your respect.

I’ll admit that working with vegetables can be a chore. They need you to care for them, trim, wash, chop and cook them into something your family and friends will eat with, if not relish, at least recognition. It’s a shame that so many of us turn to frozen and canned produce, or none at all, when our local selection is so wonderful.

Get out there and do your part: buy local produce. It won’t bite. You’re never too old to overcome the perils of vegetable cookery. Start with a vegetable cooking class or a good vegetable cookbook then invite a skinny, purple eggplant, some broccoli rabe or a few leeks to dinner. You’ll discover a new language of flavor and health.

Vegetable 101

Choose your vegetables wisely. Choose them in season. Young, taut, shiny and moist looking produce with perky leaves and good color is the best choice. Generally, smaller vegetables are the sweetest. Choose local over produce trucked in from California or Florida. Purchase organic or biodynamic whenever possible. This produce may cost a little more but these farmers work to preserve the health of our soil. Support them.

Treat produce gently. Bruises happen easily and allow an opening for quick spoilage. Watch the grocery bagger’s backhand with your avocadoes.

Wash all produce in cold water before you use it. You may want to wash and spin-dry all herbs and greens as soon as they enter your kitchen if you’re a hurried cook. Store them in ziplock bags with paper toweling. Keep a running list of what lies in the cavernous depths of your refrigerator. It will enable you to prepare meals according to what needs to be used.

Keep it simple and pay attention when preparing vegetables. Vegetables lend themselves to any method but take a cue from the Italians and Asians and don’t over cook vegetables. Steam, grill or stir-fry them. Most bite-sized vegetables steam in about 4 minutes to crisp-tender. Vegetables contain important enzymes benefiting digestion and health that are destroyed by cooking, and vitamins that are affected by overcooking so eat some of your vegetables raw in salads and salsas.

Raw vegetable salad
This is my favorite summer impromptu meal. Its inspiration comes from salsa. Feel free to create your own combos. First considering color, I take whatever my refrigerator holds and transform it into this crunchy side dish. Make a few of these salads and your knife skills will improve by leaps and bounds.
Serves 4

1/2 red onion, peeled and finely, finely sliced (paper thin)
1/2 of a medium head Savoy (curly cabbage), finely shredded
Kosher salt or unrefined sea salt
Optional: 1 clove fresh garlic, finely minced
Red wine vinegar
Two handfuls snowpeas or sugar snap peas, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely shredded
Herb of choice: fresh cilantro leaves, flat leaf parsley, basil or dill, lightly chopped or torn
2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh ground pepper

In one bowl, mix the onion with a heaping teaspoon of Kosher salt or less of unrefined sea salt. In another bowl, mix the cabbage with 2 to 3 teaspoons salt. Set them aside while you finish chopping the remaining vegetables—about 20 to 30 minutes.

When the onions and cabbage exude liquid, squeeze them over a colander and drain. Discard their liquid and toss the onion and cabbage together with the garlic in a clean bowl. Toss them with a tablespoon or so of red wine vinegar. Set them aside until the vegetables look softened and the red onion is bright pink, about 20 minutes.

Just before serving toss the beans, carrots, herbs and olive oil together with the cabbage and onions. Mix the salad and taste it. Season your salad with more vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, if desired.

Shredded Brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar and pine nuts
Adapted from Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop
Serves 4 to 6

1 pound small Brussels sprouts
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (Toast in 350F oven until golden, about 8 to 10 minutes)
salt

Set up your steamer basket. Trim the stems of the Brussels sprouts lightly and discard the outer layer of leaves. Steam the sprouts until almost tender, about 4 minutes. Remove them to a bowl to cool. Slice the sprouts into thin strips.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Sauté it until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and vinegar and cook them until they evaporate, about 1 minute. Stir in the nuts and season with salt to taste.

Roasted green beans and corn
Serves 4

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 pound green beans, stem ends trimmed away
Corn cut from 4 ears
salt

Preheat oven to 450F. Combine the oil, green beans and some salt in a mixing bowl. Combine the corn in another bowl with oil and salt. Toss so that the oil coats the beans and the corn well. Line two baking sheets (with sides) with parchment. Spread the beans out onto one and the corn on another. Place the pans into the hot oven. Roast the beans and corn until browned, about 15 to 20 minutes. Toss them together and serve.

For a little more fun, you could toss the hot vegetables with chopped herbs like basil or parsley, minced shallots or garlic or with diced tomatoes and feta cheese.

Steamed leeks with mustard vinaigrette
Serves 4 to 6

6 medium leeks
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, no substitutes
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped herbs like tarragon, basil or thyme leaves
optional, 1/4 cup peeled seeded and diced tomato

Set up your steamer. Trim and discard the dark green leek leaves and tough outer skin. Trim away the hairy root but don’t cut it away completely, you want the leek leaves to hold together. Cut the leek in half along its length and wash it well under cold water. Farmers achieve the white part of the leek by mounding dirt up around it so leeks take on a lot of dirt.

Steam the leeks until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer them to a platter and pat dry, if necessary. While the leeks steam whisk together the mustard and vinegar. Slowly, as you whisk, drizzle in the olive oil until you have a smooth, thick vinaigrette. Stir in the herbs.

Drizzle the dressing over hot, room temperature or chilled leeks. Garnish with tomato and serve.

Find local produce on Wednesdays at the Farmer’s Market in Glen Arbor, Saturdays at the Farmer’s Market in Empire, or at the Sunny Swanson roadside stand, on M-22 near Sugar Loaf, in addition to your local grocery stores.