What''s your favorite vegetable, and how do you like it?

[AprilBaby]

I hate all veggies. Seriously. I wish I didn''t because I know they are good for me. But I just can''t stand them.

 

[VRBeauty]

Date: 4/4/2010 11:37:16 AM
Author: Gailey

Those and good old fashioned British roast potatoes with lashings of salt (well, they are already bad for you!). No disrespect, but North Americans have absolutely no idea how to make these.

Those look scrumptious, Gailey!

Please, fill us in...

 

[Loves Vintage]

elrohwen - Yay!! So glad the link was helpful. We joined the one in Shelton. They have pick-ups in Westport, Fairfield and New Haven, but it sounds like those would be a bit out of the way for you. Some of the CSA's have their own websites and also a list of what a typical week's pick-up would contain. Location was the primary factor that helped us decide. We are doing a full-share, even though it's only the two of us, but I think a lot of people are satisfied with half shares. If we really wind up with too many veggies, I will just bring some into work to share.

ETA: Just read your other post and wanted to say - Wegmans!

Gailey - Tell us how to make those, please.

 

[Laila619]

Boiled cauliflower with a little salt and butter...YUM! I also love butternut squash, but not sure if that''s a vegetable?

 

[missy]

Date: 4/4/2010 12:35:20 PM
Author: Laila619
Boiled cauliflower with a little salt and butter...YUM! I also love butternut squash, but not sure if that''s a vegetable?

I think butternut squash is a vegetable and I love it too!!
Have you ever made butternut squash soup? It is delicious!!!

 

[yssie]

Date: 4/3/2010 9:50:30 PM
Author: Maevie
I love green beans from our garden - cooked with a bit of garlic, onion and butter
same for asparagus

BIG ditto on the asparagus

 

[Cind11]

My favorite vegetable would have to be corn on the cob. I like the corn with the white and yellow kernels and I like the corn to be very crisp not mushy. I usually just pop the ears in the microwave for a very short time and then put butter on them. I generally don''t even salt mine. Yum!

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 4/4/2010 12:03:12 PM
Author: Loves Vintage
elrohwen - Yay!! So glad the link was helpful. We joined the one in Shelton. They have pick-ups in Westport, Fairfield and New Haven, but it sounds like those would be a bit out of the way for you. Some of the CSA''s have their own websites and also a list of what a typical week''s pick-up would contain. Location was the primary factor that helped us decide. We are doing a full-share, even though it''s only the two of us, but I think a lot of people are satisfied with half shares. If we really wind up with too many veggies, I will just bring some into work to share.

ETA: Just read your other post and wanted to say - Wegmans!

Gailey - Tell us how to make those, please.

I''m sure we''d get a lot of use out of a full share. DH and I buy enough veggies to fill the veggie drawers and that barely lasts a whole week. Then I was buying 3-4 heads of lettuce a week for the one bunny (that took up a whole shelf). Now that we have two buns, I don''t know how we''ll be able to fit a week''s worth of veggies in the fridge! I cannot wait until we have a house and can have a garden.

The shares seem fairly cheap too! We''re definitely spending more than $30 per week on veggies and that''s about how much a full share costs.

And Wegmans is amazing. They really need to break into the CT market!

 

[monarch64]

Baby brussels sprouts, steamed, with salt and pepper and lemon juice.

 

[CurlySue]

I love asparagus and bell peppers on the grill...

 

[LaurenThePartier]

I pretty much like any vegetable steamed with a Tbsp of butter and salt and pepper, but, these are how I like most of my veggies:

Parsnips and carrots roasted with thyme, honey, salt and pepper.
Duck confit roasted fingerling potatoes. I love when they''re super caramelized!
Sweet Potatoes, baked into french fries.
Edamame - steamed and salted
Green beans - steamed and salted
Avocados - fruit yes, but a simple sprinkle of salt and pepper makes this a savory fruit I could devour a dozen of!
Corn on the cob - grilled, sprinkled with queso fresco, fresh chili powder and mayo, and tons of fresh cilantro.
Mashed root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, etc.)
Asparagus, roasted or grilled, and wrapped with prosciutto.

 

[Ninna]

Any stuffed veggie with turkey or just rice works for me.
Broiled or grilled pappers, tomatoes, corn, zucchini you name it.

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/4/2010 11:37:16 AM
Author: Gailey
Scarlet runner beans, sliced on a genuine bean slicer and boiled in lightly salted water.

Those and good old fashioned British roast potatoes with lashings of salt (well, they are already bad for you!). No disrespect, but North Americans have absolutely no idea how to make these.

I love and make these too, so easy. Here is how I do mine.

Firstly add vegetable or olive oil to a metal or glass shallow tin, use enough oil to cover the bottom of the tin, place in hot oven to get the oil very hot. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and boil potatoes for 5 mins until very slightly softened. Drain, put potatoes back into pan, cover the pan with a lid and shake vigorously to roughen the edges of the potatoes. Then add some seasoned all purpose flour to the potatoes ( around 2 tablespoons) and shake. Carefully place the potatoes into the hot fat, turn to coat and cook until golden and crispy, turning or basting every few minutes.

These potatoes are an indispensible and traditional part of any British Sunday roast or with any roast meat.

 

[Elmorton]

I''m obsessed with veggies.

1) Butternut squash in pasta. Butternut squash with anything
2) Caramelized onions
3) Mashed potatoes
4) Asparagus wrapped in procciutto
5) Red and orange peppers and red onions grilled
6) Mashed potatoes
7) Mashed cauliflower
Grilled eggplant
9) Any vegetable pureed and made into a soup - carrot, tomato especially
10) Corn on the cob - good midwest sweet corn!!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/5/2010 4:28:57 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 4/4/2010 11:37:16 AM
Author: Gailey
Scarlet runner beans, sliced on a genuine bean slicer and boiled in lightly salted water.

Those and good old fashioned British roast potatoes with lashings of salt (well, they are already bad for you!). No disrespect, but North Americans have absolutely no idea how to make these.

I love and make these too, so easy. Here is how I do mine.

Firstly add vegetable or olive oil to a metal or glass shallow tin, use enough oil to cover the bottom of the tin, place in hot oven to get the oil very hot. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and boil potatoes for 5 mins until very slightly softened. Drain, put potatoes back into pan, cover the pan with a lid and shake vigorously to roughen the edges of the potatoes. Then add some seasoned all purpose flour to the potatoes ( around 2 tablespoons) and shake. Carefully place the potatoes into the hot fat, turn to coat and cook until golden and crispy, turning or basting every few minutes.

These potatoes are an indispensible and traditional part of any British Sunday roast or with any roast meat.

Lorelei, you Philistine

- I mean vegetable or olive oil???????????? What's that all about? That's not how you make a good "Old Fashioned" roast potato. Lordy me, my Mum and both my Grandmothers would be turning in their graves.

DON'T LISTEN TO HER my North American friends, she's had a bang on the head.

OK, first of all there's a bit of a back story to roast potatoes. Traditionally in the UK, on Sundays, you have what's known as Sunday Lunch. It's served anywhere from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The main item being a joint of meat or perhaps a chicken. Roast beef, lamb or pork being the most common. The main accompaniment being crunchy roast potatoes. I meant it when I said they weren't good for you, so all you healthy eaters - beware, what is to follow will probably shock you to the core.

In the days before we became health-obsessesed and nobody knew what a hardened artery was, cuts of meat were not devoid of fat the way they are today (don't get me started on roast pork and crackling!). These days, it's difficult to find any cut of meat with a decent bit of fat on it. The days of going to a butcher for your meat are fast diminishing in favour of plastic wrapped polystyrene trays carrying the leanest cuts of meat imaginable.

Fat plays a number very important roles in a traditional Sunday lunch - and no you don't have to eat it if you don't want to. Firstly, it contributes to the flavour of the meat (along with the bones). Secondly, it keeps the meat moist during the cooking time. And lastly, and more on topic it's what you roast "Good Old Fashioned" roast potatoes in. Remember Lorelei????? I can only imagine you must be so young, you don't remember all of this. Perhaps you are a vegetarian, in which case you get a pass - just!

Now for those of you still with me and who haven't been driven off by the thought of roasting potatoes in saturated animal fat, I'll tell you how I do it. But it's a little bit involved, so I need to go get a cup of tea first!

I'll be back - after I've had toast and dripping for breakfast!

 

[Gailey]

Gailey''s "Good Old Fashioned Roast Potatoes"

The secret folks, is not just in the cooking medium, but also in the timing. The perfect roastie has a crumbly, crunchy coating that gives way to a melt-in-the-mouth fluffy core. That''s what you''re aiming for.

I previously mentioned the importance of animal fat to cook them in. I know that it''s not easy to come by enough of this to make a pan of roast potatoes. There are a number of ways around this. A good quality deli may stock tubs of goose or duck fat. They are my staple stand by and I keep them in the freezer. Only trouble with those is that the fat is a little to sanitised and devoid of any actual meat juices and thus flavour. Easier way to come by suitable cooking fat is to roast a chicken (don''t bone it or take the skin off!) and reserve all of the fat and the meat juices. Pour them into bowl and keep in the fridge. Traditionally, the excess liquid fat from roast meat would reserved from the previous week''s Sunday lunch to make the roast potatoes. It will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

The next thing you need is a shallow roasting pan with a heavy bottom (so it won''t warp in the oven). It needs to be no deeper than an inch. Any deeper and your potatoes will steam, not roast.

I''m going to assume that most people who are interested in making roast potatoes are not going to be going to prepare the whole Sunday lunch meal. For those that are interested in doing that, pipe up and say so, and I will give you slightly different instructions.

So, now you have your cooking fat, and your shallow roasting pan, what next? A large slurp or three of red wine works best. No silly, don''t pour it on the potatoes - drink it!

Heck, roasters are already bad for you, what harm can a glass or two (or three) hurt,

Before I tell you what to do next, you need to consider the timing of your dinner. Roast potatoes are not something you can prepare ahead of time because they will lose their crunchyness faster than I can get to the bottom of my first glass (and believe me, the first one doesn''t touch the sides!). They take about an hour or so and ideally need to come straight out of the oven and onto the table, barely pausing to swap them from roasting pan to a hot serving plate (yes plate, not bowl).

Timing and temperature are critical for perfect roast potatoes right from the moment you pick up your potato peeler, to the point where they get to the table. If you spend the time getting this right, they will taste better than most anything.

So now you understand all there is to know about producing the world''s best roast potato (Lorelei, have you thrown that oil out yet?), I''ll do the rest in bullet points. Thank Gawd you''re all a holering, just get to the point Gailey for "flips" sake!

Well, just one more cup of tea .........

 

[Gailey]

OK, so I reckon I''ve seen off all but the very die hards now and you must be thinking, "What on earth is she writing - War and Peace? It''s a just a potato!!!!"

I said they take about an hour. That''s cooking time not prep time. You need to add about another 15-20 minutes for that.

So bullet points, without further ado!

1. Set your oven temperature
No two ovens are the same, so this bit isn''t fool proof and you might have to practice once or twice. I have a convection oven, it''s hot and fast. I set mine to 380°F. Those without convection, can try a little higher. Place a rack on the highest setting.

2. Peel potatoes
Peel them, and cut them lengthways in half. Place them in a pan of cold water. When you''ve finished peeling all of them, change the water. Cover with enough cold water to just cover them.

3. Prepare roasting pan
Place the solidified cooking fat in the pan. You''re going to ask me how much. You need enough to give about 1mm depth of liquid fat in the whole pan. It will depend on the size of your pan.

4. Par-boil
Place the saucepan of potatoes on to a high heat on top of stove. Add salt (you will have to judge how much based on the size of the saucepan, but about a teaspoon or so). Put a lid on the saucepan and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and cook for precisely 5 minutes. Another big slurp of wine helps tremendously at this point.

5. Put roasting pan in the oven
Do this at about the 3 minute mark, so the fat has about 2 minutes to heat up.

6. Getting the potatoes into the oven - CRITICAL POINT
Clear the kitchen of onlookers and take another large slurp of wine. At the 5 minute mark, turn your heat down on the stove top to the minumum setting. Drain the potatoes in a colander and return them to the saucepan. Keep the lid on. Take the pan of hot fat out of the oven and place on the stove top. Vigorously shake the saucepan (Lorelei got that bit right

). This is what will give you your crumbly outer coating. Tip the potatoes into the roasting pan and as quickly as you can, turn each potato over so it gets liberally coated with the hot fat which should be bubbling (boiling). Make sure that each potato is flat side down. Sprinkle with freshly ground sea salt and get the pan back into the oven as fast as you can.

7. Take a breath
Got this far? Have another slurp, heck, have a glass - you did good and you just completed the most important step.

8. Timing
Set a timer for about 20 minutes or so (certainly no less). Don''t open the oven during this time. It helps if you have an oven with a window so you can see what''s going on. At between 20-30 minute or so, you need to turn the potatoes over. I only do this once as opening the oven door as little as possible is important. They should just be showing signs of browning on the top. When you turn them, the bottoms should be a little more well done.

9. Getting them to the table
Set a serving plate to warm up somewhere. I have a double oven so I warm everything in there. Never used a warming drawer, but one of those will do. Get every other element of your dinner onto the table before you take the potatoes out of the oven after their last half an hour cooking. Right at the end of all your preparations, take out the potatoes and put them onto a hot serving plate. Try not to stack them on top of each other. Don''t put them into a warming drawer! If you need to keep them hot because you aren''t quite ready. Turn your oven off, and put them back in with the door ajar.

And that''s it folks. Easy-peasy!!!!

Please report back if you decide to make them. I''m dying to hear what you think.

 

[megeve]

Hehe Gailey, you make me laugh! You have a nice way to celebrate roast potatoes, not any roast potatoes but "Good Old Fashioned Roast Potatoes"

Now, I want a portion served!!

 

[elrohwen]

Those sound so good!

Ok, so a few questions so I know I have it right. Do you add flour? I noticed Lorelei had flour added.

Also, what kind of potatoes are best? And you mentioned only cutting them in half, so I''m assuming they''re small-ish potatoes?

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/6/2010 12:30:00 PM
Author: megeve
Hehe Gailey, you make me laugh! You have a nice way to celebrate roast potatoes, not any roast potatoes but ''Good Old Fashioned Roast Potatoes''

Now, I want a portion served!!

Hey Megeve good to see you!

I must admit, I don''t make them very often. High days and holidays, certainly not every Sunday lunchtime (there''s a reason Mr Gailey is the size he is

). But they are, without doubt, the thing I get the most requests for from dinner guests. I''d be happy to serve you up a portion, come on over. But give me notice becasue as you now know, timing is everything!!

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/6/2010 12:46:09 PM
Author: elrohwen
Those sound so good!

Ok, so a few questions so I know I have it right. Do you add flour? I noticed Lorelei had flour added.

Also, what kind of potatoes are best? And you mentioned only cutting them in half, so I'm assuming they're small-ish potatoes?

Hi Elrohwen

Yes, I noticed that Lorelei does that as well. I don't. I imagine the thinking behind it is to add to the crumbly crunchy outer layer. That may well have to do with the type of potato is used. I like to use a red skinned potato here in Canada, where it seems impossible to determine the name of the variety. In the UK, I'd be looking for either King Edwards, Desiree or Maris Piper potatoes. Certainly not all potatoes are created equal. If you google potatoes for roasting, you will come up with a wealth of information!

No, you don't want the potatoes too small, otherwise they cook too fast. I would say a potato of about 4-6 inches in length is best.

Edited to add:
The reason I took so long to explain every last little step and timing is because that is what it takes to get that outer layer just right. Skipping one of these steps or doing things a little differently (like using vegetable oil for instance - perish the thought!), may be offset by a sprinking of flour. I daresay the results are similar.

 

[katamari]

So many good recipes I will be making soon! I love, love, love veggies. My favorites are baked brussel sprouts with salt, pepper, and a splash of olive oil; baked cauliflower with cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper; carmallized onions; grilled portobella mushrooms; steamed spinach; fried green tomatoes; and baked potatoes with just the littlest pat of butter.

I also love me some hillybilly stew (green beans boiled with ham hocks and redskin potatoes). It is terribly unhealthy, so I am not sure it still counts as a veggie, but it is delicious!

ETA: I know tomatoes are not technically vegetables, but . . .

 

[purselover]

Roasted brussel sprouts and asparagus with lots of garlic.

 

[annadragon]

Asparagus!!! Steamed or roasted. Olive oil and lemon or a sprinkling of Tony's on top or some homemade Hollandaise sauce... endless possibilities.

And I hate to break it you guys but corn is a grain not a veggie.

ETA: After reading Gailey's fabulous post I thought she might appreciate the following book:



Ok try as I might the darn link won't post

Here's the title Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Chef Jennifer McLagan.

Update: Obviously, me and html aren't getting along well right now but you've got link and titles.

 

[Gailey]

Date: 4/6/2010 3:24:20 PM
Author: annadragon
Asparagus!!! Steamed or roasted. Olive oil and lemon or a sprinkling of Tony''s on top or some homemade Hollandaise sauce... endless possibilities.

And I hate to break it you guys but corn is a grain not a veggie.

ETA: After reading Gailey''s fabulous post I thought she might appreciate the following book:



Ok try as I might the darn link won''t post

Here''s the title Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient by Chef Jennifer McLagan.

Update: Obviously, me and html aren''t getting along well right now but you''ve got link and titles.

http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Appreciat...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270582040&sr=1-1Wow, yes I would appreciate that book. Many, many thanks Annadragon. I shall order it straight away!

 

[Lorelei]

Date: 4/6/2010 11:15:05 AM
Author: Gailey

Date: 4/5/2010 4:28:57 PM
Author: Lorelei

Date: 4/4/2010 11:37:16 AM
Author: Gailey
Scarlet runner beans, sliced on a genuine bean slicer and boiled in lightly salted water.

Those and good old fashioned British roast potatoes with lashings of salt (well, they are already bad for you!). No disrespect, but North Americans have absolutely no idea how to make these.

I love and make these too, so easy. Here is how I do mine.

Firstly add vegetable or olive oil to a metal or glass shallow tin, use enough oil to cover the bottom of the tin, place in hot oven to get the oil very hot. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Add to a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and boil potatoes for 5 mins until very slightly softened. Drain, put potatoes back into pan, cover the pan with a lid and shake vigorously to roughen the edges of the potatoes. Then add some seasoned all purpose flour to the potatoes ( around 2 tablespoons) and shake. Carefully place the potatoes into the hot fat, turn to coat and cook until golden and crispy, turning or basting every few minutes.

These potatoes are an indispensible and traditional part of any British Sunday roast or with any roast meat.

Lorelei, you Philistine

- I mean vegetable or olive oil???????????? What's that all about? That's not how you make a good 'Old Fashioned' roast potato. Lordy me, my Mum and both my Grandmothers would be turning in their graves.

DON'T LISTEN TO HER my North American friends, she's had a bang on the head.

OK, first of all there's a bit of a back story to roast potatoes. Traditionally in the UK, on Sundays, you have what's known as Sunday Lunch. It's served anywhere from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm. The main item being a joint of meat or perhaps a chicken. Roast beef, lamb or pork being the most common. The main accompaniment being crunchy roast potatoes. I meant it when I said they weren't good for you, so all you healthy eaters - beware, what is to follow will probably shock you to the core.

Fat plays a number very important roles in a traditional Sunday lunch - and no you don't have to eat it if you don't want to. Firstly, it contributes to the flavour of the meat (along with the bones). Secondly, it keeps the meat moist during the cooking time. And lastly, and more on topic it's what you roast 'Good Old Fashioned' roast potatoes in. Remember Lorelei????? I can only imagine you must be so young, you don't remember all of this. Perhaps you are a vegetarian, in which case you get a pass - just!

Hahaha! Philistine is the right word!!! I know I am bad, I used to use lard ( and always saved my own) but these days I use the oils instead!!

 

[Gailey]

I never ate a potato dish I didn''t love. Another decadent favourite is Pommes Dauphanoise or Dauphanoise Potatoes. Here''s how (don''t fret, it''s not a Tolstoy novel this time):

BTW, I have not listed quantities here because frankly I don''t follow a recipe. You will need to adapt the quantities to the number of people you are serving. (I never claimed to be a diligent cook, just a semi-inebriated one!)

Ingredients
Bottle of chilled Chablis
Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (2mm max)
Double cream (that''s heavy cream to NA''s) TIP: the higher the milk fat content of the cream, the better this dish will taste. If you can hear your arteries screaming in protest, you can cut the cream with milk.
Garlic
Whole nutmeg
Salt and pepper.

Method
Heat oven to 350°F - 375°F depending on how hot and fast your oven is.

Pour a glass of chilled Chablis (Sauvignon Blanc or White Burgundy works well too). Drink at leisure throughout the making of this dish.

Prepare a gratin dish by liberally rubbing the inside with softened butter.

Peel and slice potatoes and leave soaking in cold water.

Peel garlic cloves and together with granulated sea salt (Kosher salt works well), pound the garlic cloves and the salt together in a pestle and mortar until it becomes a thick paste. I find if you think of the last person that irritated you beyond belief at this point together with having gotten half way down your first glass of wine really makes for this to be a speedy enjoyable process.

Scrape into a mixing jug and add the cream. Stir well. Add freshly ground pepper and stir again.

Drain the potatoes and pat them dry with Kitchen paper or a tea towel. You need to remove as much water as possible.

Put the potatoes into a large round mixing bowl and pour over the cream and garlic mixture. Thoroughly mix the potatoes and the cream mix.

You should be at least ¾ of the way down your first glass of white wine by this time (Keith Floyd may he RIP had nothing on me!)

Tip them into a prepared gratin dish. Purists would individually lay the potatoes flat (this is traditional). I like the slightly uneven texture. A quick tap of the dish will level them out to a degree.

Sprinkle the top with more freshly ground black pepper and grate some fresh nutmeg over the top as well. You do have a nutmeg grater don''t you

Bake in the oven until golden brown. Enjoy another glass of Chablis while you are waiting for the dish to cook. It generally takes between 35-45 minutes.

If you google this dish, not only will you find quantities, but also many recipes call for adding Gruyere cheese. Personally, I prefer mine without. But of course it''s a matter of taste.

Yum-scrum!