The life of a vegetable

I have an ongoing love affair with vegetables. Daily consumption only makes me long for more. Salads are a given, along with countless side or main course dishes. My mouth waters when eyeing a plate of tender steaming asparagus, a wedge of lemon tucked beside it, or a casserole bubbling with eggplant Parmesan, cheese oozing out the sides. I lust after properly prepared Southern greens with the under taste of salty pork and prick of hot chiles. A month in Amsterdam and my waistline expands from the daily piles of piping hot, crispy pommes frites, which I now consume with mayonnaise, not ketchup. Crunchy green beans with mushrooms; caramelized Brussels sprouts; fresh shelled peas with mint and butter; sautéed corn; and on and on—I love them all as long as they taste good. Vegetables that are ill prepared or lackluster in texture sit untouched on my plate. As with all food, the quality of the raw ingredient plays a huge role in the deliciousness of the finished dish. The key to a real love affair begins with the right coupling. How do you locate the best vegetables?

Vegetables are alive. When you bring them into your kitchen, they are still alive (or should be). Like the human body, they contain water and nutrients.  Professional and home chefs alike give more than lip service to seeking out seasonal, locally grown, organic vegetables. But even with those labels staring at you in the produce section, it’s hard to know which ones are going to be the most nutritious and flavorful just by looking at them. There are some signs, though, beginning with overall presentation. You want a carrot to be vibrant orange, parsley and romaine lettuce to feel crisp, potatoes to be firm not squishy, and an onion to smell like an onion when you hold it to your nose. Judge your produce first with your eyes, then with your hands, and finally with your nose.

Organic vegetables are often superior to those raised with synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but not all studies point to a slam dunk. Many organic farmers do, after all, use pesticides, and fertilizers, but they are natural, rather than synthetic. There are pros and cons to both organic and synthetic farming methods. Organic is certainly better for the environment, with natural fertilizers replenishing the soil, helping the soil retain water more readily, being safer for pets who like to dig, and also being more sustainable. But since it is impossible to regulate the ratio of nutrients being supplied to the soil, and it requires the soil to be warm to breakdown natural fertilizers, organic vegetables tend to have less protein. It also costs up to a 100 percent more to fertilize with organic materials. Both organic and synthetic pesticides are harmful, and neither are completely eliminated by washing or peeling a vegetable. When the produce sign reads “no pesticides,” it’s good to establish with the supplier that they mean both organic and synthetic as oftentimes they are referring only to synthetic pesticides.

The organic movement had its roots in the 1940s when large-scale farming began including the use of chemicals. It wasn’t until 1973 that DDT was banned. In 2001, national standards were put in place for labeling a food “organic.” There are no standards, however, for labeling a food “locally grown.” If you frequent farmers’ markets, you’ll notice a wide range of booths laden with food being passed off as local, supposedly grown on a small, nearby farm. The California produce boxes stacked off stage give the true story. I was appalled, while living in Bozeman, to discover that a booth of Mennonites, dressed in quaint outfits, were distributors far more than growers. Customers assumed they grew all they sold at their local farm, but instead they grew only a small portion and purchased the rest wholesale. If asked, “Did you grow these?” they were honest and said no, but few people asked. Even within the “organic” and “locally grown” market there are scammers, so buyer beware.

It is always preferable to pick or purchase your produce as close to the time of consumption as possible. Each vegetable has a life expectancy, with asparagus far more perishable than broccoli. Root vegetables and thick-skinned squash tend to retain their freshness longer than green vegetables. You’ll have better tasting veggies if you soak them for at least a half hour in ice water before preparing or serving them. They rehydrate and, as a bonus, soak up less oil if they fried, sautéed, or roasted.

You’ll find a number of my favorite vegetable recipes in Just Cook with Sally. Here’s a foolproof method for cooking broccolini, which is not baby broccoli, but rather a hybrid between American and Chinese broccoli. It is high in nutrients, and a bit sharper and crisper than American broccoli. I served this dish for Thanksgiving this past year and it hit the spot.

Broccolini with Garlic

Serves 4

2 bunches fresh broccolini
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 lemon

Optional
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions

1. Cut about 1/3 of the stem ends off the broccolini and discard. Place stalks in a bowl of ice water and soak for at least 10 minutes and up to an hour.

2. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add the tablespoon of salt. Lift broccolini out of ice water and add to pot. Once the water returns to a boil, cook for 4 minutes. Drain under cold water, reserving 1/3 cup of the blanching water.

3. Heat olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper in a skillet large enough to hold the broccolini over medium heat. Toss the pan and let the garlic begin to soften but not brown. After a couple of minutes, increase the temperature, add the broccolini, shake the pan and cook at high heat for a couple of minutes. Add the reserved water, shake the pan again, and cook another couple of minutes until the water has evaporated. Turn off the heat, squeeze on the lemon, and serve. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pine nuts if you want a fancier dish.

Title Photo: © simikov