Don’t be limited by the vegetables I suggest here; you can change the combination depending on what you have in the fridge. It’s a method more than a recipe, anyway: vegetables cooked until they’re just shy of being tender, then tossed in butter and herbs to finish. Simple, but stunning.
Ingredients
8 baby carrots, halved lengthwise
4 ounces (110 g) snow peas
4 ounces (110 g) asparagus, cut into thirds
6 radishes, halved
4 ounces (110 g) yellow beans, cut
into thirds
4 ounces (110 g) baby turnips, quartered
1 cup (125 g) frozen or shelled fresh peas
2 tablespoons (30 ml) butter
Salt and pepper
A few handfuls of chopped fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, parsley, chervil…)
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Salt it, and blanch all the vegetables separately. Exact time will depend on the vegetable, but count on a few minutes each and be nearby to taste-test for al dente. As the vegetables are done, fish them out with a hand-held strainer, and refresh each in ice water. Drain.
2. In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Toss the vegetables together to finish cooking and warm through. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with the herbs, and serve.
Serves 4
Recipe excerpted from French Taste by Laura Calder. Photography by James Ingram. Published by HarperCollins Canada Ltd. Copyright 2009 by Laura Calder. Excerpted with permission of HarperCollins Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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