There are several young, tender, green vegetables that can all be prepared in the same way, with minimal heat. Among them are asparagus, broccoli, green beans, peas, and summer squash. They are often interchangeable in recipes because, although their flavors are different, they share a color and texture.
Like all vegetables, they are packed with vitamins and minerals, and are healthiest when eaten raw. Cooking them will yield a more tender product, but overcooking will leach out all the color, flavor, and nutrients. Overcooking happens fast with these vegetables, so close attention must be paid to produce the best product. The key is in the color.
This cooking process has several names, include blanching, par boiling, and al-dente. It involves dropping the vegetable into boiling water for under a minute, until the color brightens, and the texture softens slightly. Then, they are removed and immediately dropped into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Asparagus
Asparagus is actually the young shoot of fern in the lily family. It has been enjoyed as a vegetable and used medicinally since Biblical times. White asparagus is grown by a process called blanching, in which shoots are covered with dirt to prevent the formation of chlorophyll.
Green Beans
Green beans, also known as string beans or snap beans, are the fresh seed pods of legumes. There are dozens of varieties, including blue lake, golden wax, purple king, and dragon tongue. Fresh green beans can be eaten in the pod, while broad beans, like lima and fava beans, must be shelled before they are eaten. Fresh string beans need very little preparation. If they have a firm stem attached, trim it off. There is a string attached to the stem that runs the length of the bean. In older beans, this string is thick and fibrous, and should be removed. It is barely noticeable in tender young beans.
Broccoli
Broccoli is related to cabbage, brussel sprout, and cauliflower. Look for a crown with tight clusters of tiny buds, dark green, sometimes with a purple tinge at the tips. The stem is edible too. Eat them as-is in young specimens, or peeled the firm outer skin in older broccoli to reveal the tender inner stem.
Several varieties of broccoli can be found at specialty markets or farmers markets, including romanesco, which is cone-shaped and bright green, and purple broccoli which is brain shaped. Raab, also known as rapini, is grown for its nutty, slightly bitter greens, which look like sprouting broccoli. Broccoli is available year-round, but it is traditionally a cold weather crop, with the best specimens available in the fall and winter.
Peas
Peas, often called shelling peas when fresh, are quite a treat straight out of the pods. Shelling them is not hard, and all they need is a 15 second dunk in boiling water, a little salt and butter. But fresh shelling peas are rarely available in your local market, and only hit the farmers markets in the late spring and early summer. So, for the rest of the year, frozen peas are the best bet. Avoid can peas with all your might. They are ugly dark green, mushy, and have a much different, less appealing flavor.
Summer Squash
Summer squash is the fruit from plant in the gourd family. It has thin, edible skin, and includes such common varieties as zucchini, patty pan, and crookneck. The smaller they are, the sweeter and less biter they will be. Keep these in the fridge, well wrapped for up to 5 days.
Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette
This simple salad has a bright fresh flavor that is a perfect complement to heavier foods, like oily fish, rice meats, or cream sauces. This recipe is best in the springtime, when asparagus is young and tender. If you make it later in the year, when asparagus is thick and woody, peel the fibrous stems down to their tender centers. If no asparagus is available, try it fresh green beans, wax beans, zucchini, or broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh asparagus
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- [1/4] tsp. kosher salt
- [1/4] tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 TB. olive oil
- [1/4] cup chopped parsley
Method
- Bring 1 quart of water to a boil in a shallow sauté pan. Add asparagus and cook 3-5 minutes, until bright green and tender (al dente). Drain, and immediately plunge into ice water.
- In a large bowl, whisk together lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Add chilled asparagus and toss to coat. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.
Sweet Pea Salad
This is a surprisingly refreshing salad. The sweet note comes from pineapple. Turn it into a meal with the addition of cooked bay shrimp, crab, or imitation crab.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh shelled peas, or 1(16 oz.) bag frozen peas
- [1/4] cup mayonnaise
- [1/4] cup sour cream
- 1 TB. prepared horseradish
- 1 TB. Dijon mustard
- [1/2] small white onion, minced
- [1/4] tsp. kosher salt
- [1/4] tsp. ground black pepper
- 2 stalks celery, chopped fine
- 1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
- [1/4] cup fresh dill or parsley, chopped
Method
- If using frozen peas, rinse peas in a colander under cool water to defrost. Set aside to drain.
- In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish and mustard. Add onion, salt, pepper, celery, peas, and pineapple, and toss to coat. Serve topped with chopped dill.
Leslie Bilderback - Leslie Bilderback, CMB Author of seven books in the The Complete Idiot's Guide and Everything series, a regular column in the Los ...
