Guest guest Posted February 25, 2007 Report Share Posted February 25, 2007 http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/02/21/FDGIJO5I9L1.DTL & hw=v\ egan & sn=002 & sc=525 The little passion that grew Confessions of an omnivore reveal a passion for produce Amanda Berne, Special to The Chronicle Wednesday, February 21, 2007 Editor's note: Today's The Accidental Vegetarian is the first installment of a regular feature focusing on vegetarian recipes. Columnist Amanda Berne, a trained chef and food writer, loves meat but believes that when done well, vegetarian dishes can be just as exciting and interesting. Let us know what you think by e-mailing food. If Andrew Marvell's poem " To His Coy Mistress " were written today, I might have wondered if he knew me. In one line he sums up the essence of my home cooking, and my passion for the greens, oranges and reds that fill the Bay Area's produce bins. " My vegetable love should grow, " Marvell wrote. True, he might have written that line with saucier intentions, but my vegetable thoughts are saucy, too -- and roasted, steamed, stir-fried and raw. They are sauteed, caramelized, blanched and braised. They're served alone, or plied with herbs and spices, or sometimes coaxed into cakes, loaves, breads and smooth, creamy soups. Bay Area residents, as we all know, are very lucky. While it's freezing most everywhere else, we still have access to a wide variety of great, local produce. It was this produce and the many markets that captivated me when I moved here eight years ago to attend culinary school, and still today makes me blush while shopping. I always made it a point to buy a vegetable that I didn't know how to prepare, bring it home and head straight to the kitchen. At one point, it was branches of fresh Brussels sprouts; another time it was stalks of cardoons. Vegetal leanings I'm not a vegetarian, but I love vegetarian cooking. Through my years of working in restaurants, and time in culinary school, I've found the most satisfying dishes for me tend to be the vegetable sides or inventive vegetarian entrees. I've culled ideas from those years, and the recipes in this column will reflect the seasons, Bay Area produce and a penchant for whole grains and natural foods. I'll delve into beans under pressure, fancy dinner party fare, raw food for hot summer days and even follow a vegan diet for a month. I'll watch for trends, scour restaurant menus and keep up the dialogue with chefs and farmers. I won't preach all of the nutrition -- we all know that vegetables are good for us -- but I can show you how to prepare them. My definition of vegetarian for this column will mean recipes made without meat, poultry or fish. That also means, for example, no chicken broth. But, I will use eggs, cheese, butter and the like. Although there aren't many restaurants dedicated solely to vegetarian cooking, that doesn't mean chefs don't embrace it. Go to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market on any Saturday morning and you're bound to see half of the city's top toques shopping for that night's dinner. Go to any of the dozens of farmers' markets around Northern California and you'll get a chance to meet the growers and tap into their ideas for cooking their produce. Going to the source It's through conversations with folks like Steve Sando from Rancho Gordo that I developed an intense love of beans and their nuances. Talking to Chris Cosentino of Incanto, who was buying fruit from his favorite vendor for the restaurant's menu that night, I found out how he uses Buddha's hand, the odd-shaped citrus, and who sold the best pomelos. I bought those pomelos for a recent dinner party where my friend Sam Breach helped me develop the recipe for the zesty Triple Citrus Salad. The idea for another recipe I've included today comes from a meal at Coi, the San Francisco restaurant from Daniel Patterson. He gives the risotto treatment to farro, one of the world's oldest cultivated grains. Patterson says he now uses cracked wheat at the restaurant for a creamier, more risotto-like texture, but I still prefer the nuttiness and toothsome texture of farro and found that a couple spoonfuls of grated Parmesan helps thicken the sauce. The vegetables roast while the farro is cooking, making it pretty easy to prepare and a fully satisfying all-in-one meal. Last-ditch dish The third dish was produced out of exhaustion. I was tired and just wanted something nourishing to eat, so I grabbed some broccoli rabe out of the fridge and used it as a base for baked, or shirred, eggs. By varying the vegetable base, you can serve the eggs in any season. Think artichokes, nettles, asparagus in spring, and summer squashes. The dish can even be prepared ahead of time and baked in the morning for a stylish, sophisticated -- and dare I say, easy -- brunch. I don't expect vegetables to invoke the same kind of blushing passion in everyone as they do in me. I just hope that as you try the recipes, your vegetable love will grow. -- Stock the pantry Keeping a stocked pantry maximizes your options when cooking vegetarian. Stock. Keep fresh stock in the freezer, although good-quality canned stock will do in a pinch. Bag up trimmings from carrots or celery and store in the freezer so they're ready for a quick broth. Beans. I prefer dried, but do keep canned black beans, garbanzo and white beans on hand. Make a big pot of beans and store individual portions in the freezer. They can be blended into hummus to go with crudite and are lovely tucked into fresh tortillas. Whole grains and pasta. Try bulgur, barley or farro. There's also millet, rye and brown rice. Pastas come in a variety of whole grains now, too, so experiment a little to find what you like. Spices. Buy them in small quantities from the bulk section of markets so they are always fresh. Toast them to bring out the flavor. Herbs. Buy fresh herbs. If you do have to substitute dried for fresh, try to do that only in long-cooked recipes, and use one-third of the amount listed. Yogurt. It can be mixed into a luscious curry, used on top of potatoes, or blended with vegetables for quick Mediterranean-inspired salads. Eggs. In addition to omelets, scrambled eggs and frittatas, I've use them as a topper for onions and greens for a quick, soul-satisfying meal. They are instant protein that cook up quickly when you are really hungry. Lemons and limes. Brighten up a dish quickly with a squeeze of either. It can make big difference in a soup that tastes bland, or to perk up sauteed greens that feel too rich. -- Amanda Berne -- Farro Risotto with Roasted Mushrooms & Chard Serves 4 Chef Daniel Patterson of Coi gives farro the risotto treatment. Look for semi-pearled farro, which is partly hulled and makes for easier cooking. INGREDIENTS: 4 cups no-salt vegetable broth 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 onion, chopped 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 teaspoon minced thyme or rosemary (your preference) Salt and pepper to taste 3 cups thickly sliced mixed mushrooms 1 1/2 cups chopped chard 1 cup farro 1/2 cup white wine 1 tablespoon butter (optional) 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan INSTRUCTIONS: Instructions: Preheat the oven to 350°. Heat the vegetable broth and mushrooms in a saucepan on the stove, and keep it hot, but not boiling, throughout the process. Heat the oil in deep skillet or stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme or rosemary, salt and pepper, and cook for another minute. Remove half of the vegetables to a roasting pan, toss with the fresh mushrooms, chard and 2 tablespoons of the hot broth, cover with aluminum foil and put in the oven. Meanwhile, add the farro to the remaining onion mixture and cook until toasted, about 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add wine, stir and allow the farro to absorb the wine. Add the stock, about half a cup at a time, stirring the grains and allowing them to absorb the liquid before the next addition. This should take about 15 minutes. If you run out of stock, warm up water. As you are getting close to the end, take the foil off the vegetables in the oven and allow to cook for the last 3-5 minutes uncovered. The farro is ready when it is tender, but still chewy. There won't be any crunch left. Stir in the butter, if using, and cheese and remove from the heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the farro in bowls, topped with the roasted mushrooms and chard. Per serving: 320 calories, 12 g protein, 45 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 4 mg cholesterol, 735 mg sodium, 6 g fiber. -- Shirred Eggs with Greens & Gruyere Serves 4 This homey dish is easy to prepare and perfect for when you just want something cozy and delicious. Try it with cooked artichoke hearts or chopped asparagus. For a heartier meal, used two 6-ounce ramekins and top each with two eggs. INGREDIENTS: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/2 onion, sliced 1 teaspoon thyme leaves 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes 2 cups broccoli rabe, in 1-inch pieces 1/3 cup cream 1/3 cup vegetable broth or water 3 tablespoons grated Gruyere Salt and pepper to taste 4 eggs 2 tablespoons panko breadcrumbs, toasted 1 tablespoon minced parsley INSTRUCTIONS: Instructions: Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until browned, about 10 minutes. Add thyme leaves and chile flakes and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add broccoli rabe, stir well, and cook until slightly wilted. Add cream and broth, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook for a few minutes, until greens are tender and cream is slightly thickened. Stir in the Gruyere and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mixture into four 4-ounce ramekins and top each with an egg and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the whites are just set and the yolks are still runny. (If you don't like runny yolks, just cook a little longer.) Remove from the oven, sprinkle with panko and parsley and serve hot with good toast and a simple salad. Per serving: 220 calories, 10 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat (8 g saturated), 245 mg cholesterol, 154 mg sodium, 2 g fiber. -- Triple Citrus Salad Serves 4-6 This was created at a recent dinner party with my friend Sam. The almond oil really ties everything together in an unexpected way. Tarragon is lovely with this, as is parsley. INGREDIENTS: 2 pomelos, peeled and sectioned, juices reserved 1 orange, any type, peeled, sectioned and juices reserved 1 lime, peeled, sectioned and juices reserved 1 avocado 1 1/2 tablespoons almond oil (see note) 1 tablespoon minced parsley or tarragon Salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS: Instructions: Toss together the citrus. Thinly slice the avocado and arrange about 4 slices per plate. Mound the citrus on top. In another bowl, mix together the reserved juices, almond oil and the parsley or tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over the citrus and serve immediately. Note: Almond oil can be found with the specialty oils in well-stocked supermarkets. Per serving: 175 calories, 3 g protein, 26 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 6 mg sodium, 5 g fiber. Amanda Berne, a former Chronicle staff writer, is a senior editor at Ten Speed Press in Berkeley. E-mail her at food. This article appeared on page F - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle I see in the near future a crisis approaching that unnerves me and causes me to tremble for the safety of my country. As a result of war, corporations have been enthroned, and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all the wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the republic is destroyed. I feel, at this moment, more anxiety for the safety of my country than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless. " Lincoln in a letter to Col. William F. Elkins on November 21, 1864 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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