Barbara Bretton: Wish You Were Here

What's Cooking?

The Food Goddess is in the Kitchen! I am delighted beyond words to present my friend, my pal, Kali Amanda Browne (daughter of the beauteous and talented Marie) aka The Food Goddess. Enjoy!

Vegetables as Side Dishes

I knew somebody who referred to vegetables as "that stuff they put next to the steak at restaurants." The recipes I have for you this month are meant as side dishes, perfect and in season for summer. Refreshing, nutritious and fabulous. These are great accompaniments to meats, chicken or fish, or even as part vegetarian fair. It all goes just as well with fancy dishes as with picnic fair, with the versatility of a little black dress. And keep well for about a week, refrigerated. These recipes have been enjoyed for many summers and were adapted to their simplest forms. The only thing that is required is to place the marinating liquids and seasonings in a lidded jar and shake vigorously until emulsified and then mix with the vegetables. Nothing can be simpler and the results will leave your palate in ecstasyÑone being crunchy and tangy, the other sweet and savory.

This recipe has been in Mom's repertoire for years, adapted from an old issue of Bon Appétit. Mom lost the recipe years ago, but she wings it and it always comes out delicious. This one should sit around overnight, to help the flavors marry. It is refreshing and has a sophisticated tang lacking in the mayo drenched traditional mess served at too many barbeques or in those tacky little paper cups at diners. It goes extraordinarily well as a side dish and in sandwiches and burgers (in lieu of lettuce).

Italian Cole Slaw

2 to 4 cups chopped red cabbage (one small head to half a large head)
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tablespoons drained capers
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced

This recipe we found in a little magazine that our landlady passes along to us every month. A well-meaning relative gave her a gift subscription to Cookbook DigestÑa left-handed gesture for a woman who doesn't cook at all. We were so enamored with it, that we promptly cut it out and placed it prominently on the cabinet door above the sink, prime real estate for a recipe! It has fallen in the sink numerous times, it has been slimed by a multitude of foods and the paper has developed that antiquing oxidation that shows its honored position in our kitchen.

Blanched Carrots and String Beans with Mustard Dill Sauce

1-1/2 pounds baby carrots, trimmed (or shredded)
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed
2-1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/4 cup coarse grain mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1-1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Finally, as always, I encourage you to try different things to make these recipes your own! Instead of cabbage, use other leafy greens or raw, shredded carrots or beets or even corn. Substitute the blanched vegetables with multi-colored peppers or cucumbers. The mustard dill sauce would make a surprising and exciting difference to potato salad. These recipes are celebrations to local farmers markets.

You can email me at kali.templeofdoom@gmail.com.