Greene on Greens

Greene on Greens by Bert Greene, copyright 1984
Roots in Escabeche, page 390
Prepared on February 17, 2008

Greene on Greens is a great vegetable cookbook. As an 80s cookbook, it is heavy on rich recipes: lots of cream and butter and cheese. But, it is also chock-a-block full of interesting and vibrant recipes as well.

Roots in escabeche is a refreshing dish: turnips, carrots and rutabegas are boiled until tender, then tossed with a vinagrette, sliced onions and chopped olives.

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian

Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian by Madhur Jaffrey, copyright 1999
Spicy Eggplant Stew with Potatoes, Mushrooms and Chickpeas, page 196
Prepared February 13, 2008

Madhur Jaffrey's books of Indian cookery are fabulous resources for anyone interested in cooking in that style. This cookbook, as you can see by its title, takes a broader view. The recipes are varied and interesting. At over 700 pages, this book has something for everyone. I do think that her Indian, Pakistani and Sri Lankan dishes are the heart of the book, but many cultures are represented and those recipes do not seem like an afterthought.

This dish was fantastic. We served the stew over basmati rice with roasted cauliflower on the side. It was filling, and the mushrooms gave it a meaty texture.

It was also a quick fix - much faster to pull together than I thought. I was planning on making something else, and from inspiration to service, the stew took about 40 minutes total (with only 10 minutes of active work). It is a saucy mess (note the puddles under my cooking dish) so make sure you use a large enough pot (I should have used my Dutch oven, instead of this gratin).

The Art of Simple Food

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters, copyright 2006

Winter Minestrone with Turnips, Potatoes and Cabbage, page 73

Prepared January 7, 2008

This could have been unfair. The Art of Simple Food is a lovely cookbook. It's organized in two sections: Part One provides you with master recipes and tips (and a lot of recipes), Part Two is called "At the Table" and gives you even more recipes. It's a lovely cookbook and I can't wait to really in to it, especially this summer.

Alice Waters lives in California. She has ready access to farmers with four growing seasons and can get gorgeous produce all the time. With that in mind, I thought I would try one of her "winter" recipes. I decided on the Winter Minestrone. I could have picked the Fall version too as I have good access to kale and butternut squash.

This soup was really good. Really. A soup of turnips and cabbage. You might also assume that the kitchen would stink after this. A soup of turnips and cabbage. One trick to stink-free cabbage and turnip cooking: cook these vegetables in uncovered pots. For some reason, covering the pot makes 'em stink right up. Cover off: no such problem.

You make a soffrito of celery, carrots and onions. Then you add in garlic, thyme, chopped turnips and potato and water (I did use some vegetable stock because I had it on hand). When the turnips and potatoes are softened, add in cooked white beans and cooked cabbage. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and drizzled with olive oil.

If Waters can make this rather pedestrian sounding list of ingredients into a soup this good, I can't wait to see her in action with a ripe eggplant or a bag of tomatoes.

By the way, this was my turnip. It was huge (weighed 1.25 pounds) and dipped in wax to preserve it. I actually think it may have been a rutabaga (it was pale orange inside). Either way, it was delicious. Despite its size and stodginess, it cooked up sweet and tender.