by Graham Kerr
Push the cauliflower aside and stir in the slurry. Heat over medium heat and stir until thickened and glossy. Mix the cauliflower back into the sauce. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve, garnished with parsley for nice color.
Per serving: 66 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 190 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable, ½ Fat
CAULIFLOWER WITH CARROT “CHEESE” SAUCE
This recipe may seem like a fiddle but the results are well worth the effort.
SERVES 4
4 cups cauliflower florets
3 carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch rounds (yield 1½ cups)
½ cup evaporated skim milk
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne
Pinch cumin
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dusting of smoked paprika
Steam cauliflower 18 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Set aside.
Cook the carrots in the evaporated milk and water, covered, in a medium saucepan, 10-15 minutes or until very soft. Place the carrots and cooking liquid, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice in a blender, and whiz for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and glossy. Add the salt, cayenne, and cumin, and whiz to mix.
Place the cauliflower in a small baking dish. Spoon the carrot sauce over the cauliflower and scatter the Parmesan cheese over the top. Brown under a preheated broiler 4 inches from heat and serve, garnished with a dusting of smoked paprika.
Per serving: 92 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat (9% calories from saturated fat), 13 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 356 mg sodium. Exchanges: 3 Vegetable, ½ Fat
Celery
Apium graveolens var. dulce
As long ago as 900 BCE, celery was at home in the marshlands of southern Europe. In fact, it wasn’t plucked out of its stick-in-themud behavior until the 16th century, when the Italians began its cultivation.
I really like its flavor in both salads and stews. What I don’t like is when the strings are tight and hard, and the flavor harsh and chalky. I’ve had several such encounters with store bought, and it’s made me decide to grow my own and try to avoid these disappointments. This will be a year-two project because I ran out of time and space.
I got lots of advice from my expert friends that left me with some choices.
I had to decide to go for self-blanching varieties or undergo the hard work of blanching the plants myself. In gardening terms, blanching means to shield the stalk with either paper or boards to lighten its color and, in this case, reduce stringiness. Since I don’t have much space for celery, I decided to go with the extra work to get the maximum benefit.
This entailed another decision: to grow the plants in a trench or pop a 1-liter plastic milk bottle over each plant. I’ve decided on the trench. In midseason, I’ll tie the stalks together, wrap waxed paper around the bunch, and heap soil all the way up to the leaves, where it will stay as the plant grows.
Having given you all the troublesome details of intervention, it remains for me to provide some possible good news. Self-blanching varieties spontaneously lose the chlorophyll and don’t need paper or trenches, but there are strings attached, so to speak, since the self-blanching varieties are not completely stringless!
The Numbers
The leaves have more nutritional value than the stalks. So use the whole plant for maximum nutritional benefit.
For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz; ½ cup): 16 calories, 0.14 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 87 mg sodium
Celery
Biennial/Annual
Water: Heavy
Sun: Part shade, avoid direct long days of direct sun. Will bolt at temperatures above 60ºF for a week or so, but shading will help.
Companion Planting:
PRO: Beans, cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, peas
CON: Carrots, pumpkin squash
Pests: Aphids, cabbage loopers, whiteflies, nematodes
Diseases: Blight, leaf spot
Soil: Humus-rich soil with good drainage
Fertilizer: Dig in compost to 12 inches before planting; fish emulsion every 2-3 weeks
pH: 5.8-6.8
Varieties: Golden Self-Blanching, Tendercrisp
Zones: 5-10
Planting: Sow indoors 10 weeks before last frost; sow outdoors 19 weeks before first frost; plant ⅛ inch deep, 6-8 inches apart
Germinate: 10 days
Harvest: 120-180 days before first frost in autumn
Rotation: Don’t follow lettuce, cabbage
Edible: Leaves, stalks, seeds, roots (celeriac)
BRAISED CELERY HEARTS
This is a delicious way to enjoy celery hearts as a side to any main dish.
SERVES 4
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups chopped sweet onions
3 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 heads celery or 4 celery hearts
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sauté the onion until golden, then add the tomato paste. Continue cooking until the tomato paste darkens. Remove from heat, add the oregano, stock, salt, and black pepper. Return to low heat and let it simmer while you prepare the celery.
Cut the bottom 6 inches off the base of each head of celery. Cut in half lengthwise. Remove the outer ribs until you get to the tender, lighter-colored heart. Save the tops and trim for salads and stocks.
Lay the hearts in a small ungreased baking dish in one layer, and pour the tomato-onion sauce over them until half covered. Cover the dish and bake 35-40 minutes or until tender. Serve the hearts whole on each of 4 hot dinner plates, and spoon the remaining sauce over them. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Per serving: 93 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 20 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 446 mg sodium. Exchanges: 3 Vegetable
CELERIAC APPLE SALAD
You can use the heart of the celery without the need to cook it as you would the root, which has a more complex flavor and texture; well worth a try.
SERVES 4
1 small celeriac (celery root), peeled and sliced
(yield 1½ cups)
2 small (or 1 large) red apples, cored and
chopped (yield 1½ cups)
4 leaves butter lettuce
FOR THE DRESSING
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon nonaromatic olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon dried tarragon or 2 teaspoons
chopped fresh
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Drop the celeriac slices into boiling water in a medium saucepan. Bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Drain and run the celeriac under cold water to cool. Cut the slices into strips and place in a large bowl. Add the apples and mix.
Combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, tarragon, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over the celeriac and apples, and toss to coat.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a platter and spoon the salad on top.
Per serving: 84 calories, 4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat (5% calories from saturated fat), 13 g carbohydrate, 2 g dietary fiber, 234 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, ½ Fruit, 1 Fat
CELERIAC AND POTATO PURÉE
This could become the Rolls Royce of mashed potatoes if you enjoy the flavor of celery.
SERVES 6
1 small celeriac (celery root), about 1 pound
unpeeled
2 large russet potatoes
¼ t
easpoon salt
2 cups water
¼ cup yogurt cheese (see page 290)
¼ teaspoon white pepper
3 tablespoons finely sliced fresh celery leaves
Scrub the celeriac with a vegetable brush. Cut off the top and bottom and discard. Peel the celery root with a knife, making sure to cut out all the brown spots and any woody parts near the center. Slice thickly and then cut into 1-inch pieces.
Peel the potatoes and cut into 1-inch slices. Put the celery root, potatoes, salt, and water in a medium saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on medium-low for 25 minutes or until very soft.
Strain the vegetables and mash well in the saucepan. Stir in the yogurt cheese, white pepper, and celery leaves. Cover until ready to serve, or serve immediately.
Per serving: 63 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 173 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
Chard
Beta vulgaris var. cicla
Whenever I cook spinach, I have this sinking feeling that seems to be influenced by the rapid loss of bulk. Such lovely leaves simply darken and disappear! While this rapid shrinking can be lessened, it can be avoided completely by switching to chard, also known as Swiss chard.
You can start your chard by sowing indoors (a fiber-based egg carton filled with potting soil will fit perfectly on a sunny kitchen window ledge). Sow 1-2 weeks before your last frost. Plant out in raised beds 8-12 inches apart in all directions.
When the plants are 6 inches tall, move down the row and snip off the outer leaves. Later you can cut the whole plant down to just 2 inches, and it will regrow for a winter crop. In midsummer (if left uncut), it can rapidly go to seed.
Chard has deep green, robust textured ruffled leaves that stand up perfectly to steaming—or a swift sauté or stir-fry. As well, there are its designer stalks, which come in a variety of colors, from white to scarlet. The variety Bright Lights has both orange and yellow stalks.
All this color is wonderful in the garden, but it does pale down in cooking. The stalks must be detached and cooked separately because they take at least twice the time as the leaves.
I’m also fond of chard as a finely sliced garnish to soups and stews. I roll several destalked leaves like a cigar and then cut across in what is called a chiffonade and then again across each bundle to reduce the length to pieces no more than 1 inch by, say, ¼ inch or less. This heap of raw greens with red, yellow, and white flecks can then be added at the last moment to a soup or stew or even an omelet—all delicious!
The Numbers
Chard is rich in vitamin K1 and osteocalcin, which promote bone growth.
For each 100 g cooked (3.5 oz): 19 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 213 mg sodium
Chard
Biennial/Annual/Cool Season
Water: Moderate
Sun: Full
Companion Planting:
PRO: Cabbage, garlic, leeks, onions, mustard
CON: Beets, spinach
Pests: Aphids, flea beetles, nematodes
Diseases: Leaf spot, mildew
Soil : Good drainage; keep cool with mulch
Fertilizer: Low-nitrogen fish emulsion every 4-6 weeks
pH: 6.0-6.8 (+7.5)
Varieties: Scarlet Charlotte (red), Bright Lights (multicolored), Fordhook Giant
Zones: 2-10
Planting: Seed ½-¾ inch deep, 2 weeks after last frost. Plant 1-2 inches apart and then thin to 8-12 inches.
Germinate: 7 days
Harvest: 45-55 days
Rotation: Don’t follow beets or spinach; okay to follow legumes
Edible: Leaves, stalks
CHARD
Basic Preparation
Wash leaves and stocks very well, as the somewhat crinkled leaf can harbor soil. Then strip off the greens from the stalk using a sharp knife, just as you might sharpen a pencil.
I keep the stalks for a day or two in the refrigerator, where they begin to go limp, and then chop them up and steam them for 8 minutes. This cooking method will help retain the color but still make the stalks tender. The greens can also be steamed.
STEAMED SWISS CHARD
Swiss chard has tons of flavor and great eye appeal, with its rainbow-colored stems that also add wonderful texture. It’s a great alternative to spinach and loses less of its bulk during cooking.
SERVES 4
2 bunches (about 14 ounces) Swiss chard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Wash the chard leaves in a sink full of cold water. Cut the stems off and slice them crosswise into ½-inch pieces. Cut the leaves crosswise into ½-inch strips.
Toss the stems into a steamer and steam, covered, for 8 minutes. Add the leaves and cook 4 minutes more until just tender. Toss with the vinegar and oil, and serve.
Per serving: 30 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 157 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
SOUTHWEST SWISS CHARD AND BEAN SOUP
This is an excellent soup, with robust Tex-Mex flavors. Serve with a nice piece of cornbread and dream of the Grand Canyon.
SERVES 4
1 bunch (about 7 ounces) Swiss chard
1 teaspoon olive oil
1½ cups chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, bashed and chopped
1 tablespoon mild chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained, or fresh from the pod
1 medium tomato, skinned and diced
¼ teaspoon salt
Wash the chard and remove the stems. Trim any discolored ends and cut the stems into ½-inch pieces. Stack the leaves and cut across into ½-inch strips; then cut them in the other direction to keep the length to 2 inches.
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet or large saucepan over medium-high. Sauté the onion 4 or 5 minutes until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, chard stems, chili powder, and cumin, and cook 1 minute more.
Pour in the stock, add the beans and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes or until the chard stems and beans are tender. Season with salt. Add leaves to heat through.
Per serving: 160 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 26 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 8 g dietary fiber, 472 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 1 Vegetable, ½ Fat
WILTED WINTER SALAD
Just when you thought the time for salads was over, here’s a late-season warm salad that uses the last of the produce before winter strikes.
SERVES 4
1 bunch Swiss chard
1 teaspoon olive oil
½ cup sliced roasted red peppers
½ cup quartered water chestnuts
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Wash the chard and remove the stems. Chop the stems into ½-inch pieces. Cut the leaves into bite-size pieces. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Sauté the stems about 3 minutes or until crisp tender. Add the leaves and cook 2-3 minutes or until just wilted.
Toss with the red peppers, water chestnuts, and vinegar. Serve warm.
Per serving: 54 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 11 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 211 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
Chickpeas
Cicer arietinum
The chickpea, aka the garbanzo bean, is a remarkably nutritious pea that began its life in Turkey and got to us via India in the 1600s. The word garbanzo means “little ram,” which describes the somewhat crumpled head shape of the bean.
I’m devoted to it because of its smooth texture and mellow, rich taste. It is, of course, the basis for hummus, the North African bean paste, but it’s also used in stews and casseroles from the same region. It provides good protein and excellent fiber, which reduces the immediate absorption
of the carbohydrates.
Until last year, I had heard of only one color other than the standard cream, and that was an unappetizing black (Black Kabuli). Then I got some fresh frozen immature beans in the post from Clearwater Country Foods in Genesee, Idaho, that were bright green and behaved perfectly in a green hummus and wherever I’d added lima beans in the past (see Brunswick Stew, page 146). Fortunately, I got some planting peas, but it was too late for my first year, so I’ve set aside a special patch to see how they grow in year two. The bed in which I’ve chosen to plant the peas held bush beans in year one, which should help with the chickpeas’ ability to fix nitrogen in the soil.
Nitrogen fixation is a splendid example of the awesome ability of nature to provide a metaphor for great neighbors who look out for each other’s needs. Let’s assume that you’ve planted lettuce or cabbage (lots of green leaves). These are called heavy feeders, especially of nitrogen, which stimulates their leaf and stem growth. These plants draw on the soil nitrogen supply and can seriously deplete it. Now we can add blood meal, guano, hoof and horn meal, soybean meal, and cottonseed meal, as well as compost—all natural nitrogen.
Along come the good neighbor plants: beans, peas, and soybeans. As they grow, they interact with soil-borne bacteria and take nitrogen from the air (most other plants can’t do this). This is called nitrogen fixation. The bean plant stores this nitrogen in its roots in the form of nodules and uses the nitrogen for its initial growth. The root-stored growth bacteria, called Rhizobia, multiply and absorb nitrogen in excess of the plants’ needs and then use this surplus to enrich the soil.
Now you can see the reason to switch beds and plant leafy greens where beans and peas have boldly gone before.
The Numbers
Chickpeas are an excellent source of molybdenum, which recent reports suggest is useful in the natural detoxification of the body. Some folks have an allergic reaction, so test with a small portion.
