by Graham Kerr
SERVES 4
3 medium leeks
3 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
1 (15-ounce) can navy beans (or other white
beans), rinsed and drained6
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon
chopped fresh
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon
chopped fresh
1 cup chopped Swiss chard or New Zealand
spinach
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Chop the white parts of the leeks, saving the green parts for stock. Pour the stock into a large pot and add the leeks. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until the leeks are tender.
Pour the soup through a strainer. Return the liquid to the pot and reserve ¼ cup of the leeks. Measure the beans and reserve ½ cup. Whiz the remaining leeks with the remaining beans in a blender or food processor, using enough soup liquid to make the solids go around.
Add the pureed vegetables, thyme, and basil to the pot. Bring to a boil, and stir in the Swiss chard. Add the pine nuts and the reserved leeks and beans, reheat, and serve immediately, while the chard is still nice and green.
Per serving: 169 calories, 4 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 28 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 7 g dietary fiber, 149 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, ½ Fat
STEAMED LEEKS AND POTATOES
This is a classic European-style dish at its finest and makes a great winter-weather first course!
SERVES 4
4 leeks, trimmed and washed well, reserving
the trimmings and dark green tops
8 red new potatoes, 2 inches in diameter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons crumbled soft goat cheese
FOR THE SAUCE
1 cup low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with
2 tablespoons water (slurry)
½ cup yogurt cheese (see page 290)7
⅛ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
FOR THE GARNISH
Freshly ground black pepper
Finely chopped fresh parsley
Paprika
Juice of 1 lemon (¼ cup)
Pour about 1½ inches of water into a large pot, add the leek trimmings and tops, and bring to a vigorous boil. Put the potatoes and white part of the leeks into a steamer tray. Sprinkle with the thyme, place over the pot, cover, and steam about 15 minutes or until tender. Remove the steamer tray and set aside.
To prepare the sauce, heat the stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Pour a little hot stock into the slurry, mix well, and pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds until thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir yogurt cheese gently until smooth. When the sauce is cool, add it to the yogurt cheese, stirring gently until well incorporated, but don’t overbeat! Fold in the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg.
To serve, coarsely chop the leeks and potatoes, and mix together. Put a small mound of the mixture on each plate, and sprinkle evenly with the goat cheese. Cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with the black pepper, parsley, and paprika, and squeeze on some lemon juice. Enjoy.
Per serving: 353 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g saturated fat (3% calories from saturated fat), 72 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 7 g dietary fiber, 209 g sodium. Exchanges: 3 Starch, 2 Vegetable
Lemon
Citrus limon
When it comes to finding the very best ingredients to use as alternatives to those high in saturated fat, refined starch, and sodium, the list begins with citrus and then goes directly to the herb garden and on into the kitchen garden. Each of these choices is full of flavor, primary taste, and aroma, as well as texture. No wonder that recipes treated to such adjustments often wind up actually improved!
Unfortunately, the idea of TACT (taste, aroma, color, texture) replacement isn’t well understood; after all, it’s taken me more than 20 years to begin to fully appreciate its value!
Because of this lack of understanding, most of the efforts made to lessen risk begin and end with cutting things out, which leaves an often tasteless vacuum. What should happen is to add before you subtract!
The perfect example is to add lemon—preferably freshly squeezed—to a dish like mushrooms sautéed in butter. You will then be able to reduce the amount of butter because the lemon will provide the enhanced flavor, without the drawbacks.
I heartily recommend (and am growing) the Meyer lemon, as it is easy to grow and has a remarkable almost sweet-and-sour taste and a truly floral fragrance—well worth the effort to include in a sheltered sunny spot, or perhaps a greenhouse ?
As the fruit matures (in its second year), it moves from the typically acidic to a sweeter overtone. As it sweetens, the rind gets a slightly orange blush and the flesh turns a very light orange.
I ordered my lemon as a 2-year-old dwarf bare-root tree. I received it in April and immediately transplanted it in well-drained sandy loam in a 15-inch pot, with holes drilled in the bottom to allow for drainage. I set it on a drip tray and kept it indoors in a sunny spot until the daytime temperatures went above 65ºF. Then it went into a wind-sheltered sunny spot. I hope to see fruit next year.
The Numbers
For each 100 g with peel (3.5 oz ; ½ cup): 20 calories, 11 g carbohydrate, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 1 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 3 mg sodium
Perennial
Water: Keep soil evenly moist but not wet
Sun: Full; light shade in afternoon where summer is very hot
Pests: Scale, whiteflies, thrips, mites (use beneficial insect traps and insecticidal soap for prevention and control of pests)
Diseases: Plant virus-free disease-resistant varieties
Soil: Moist, well-drained
Fertilizer: N-P-K ratio of 3:1:1
pH: 5.5-6.5
Varieties: Meyer, Improved Meyer (dwarf variety); both disease resistant
Zones: 8-10
Planting: In warmer climates (outdoors): spring or early autumn, space trees at least 25 feet apart or dwarf trees 10 feet apart; usually one is enough because they self-fertilize; avoid growing in areas where there is strong wind
Harvest: Begin to fruit 2-5 years after planting, then fruit year round
Edible: Flesh and skin (as zest) of fruit
Lemon
MEYER LEMON PIE
While the classic Key Lime Pie is made with small limes from southern Florida, you can substitute your own Meyer lemons for an extraordinary difference.
SERVES 8
½ recipe Pie Crust (see page 289)
Dried beans, any variety
FOR THE FILLING
4 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can nonfat sweetened condensed milk
FOR THE MERINGUE
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Roll out the pie crust to fit an 8-inch pie tin. Lay the rolled dough in the pan without stretching it, and crimp the edge. Prick with a fork. Lay a piece of parchment or waxed paper in the pie shell and pour in enough dried beans to cover the bottom. These will act as pie weights to keep the crust from bubbling up while baking. Bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350°F.
To make the filling, combine the zest, juice, egg yolks, and milk in a bowl with a whisk. Pour into the baked crust and bake 15 minutes. When the pie is done—a thin knife will come out clean—remove it from the oven and increase the heat to 425°F.
While the pie is baking, make the meringue. Beat the egg whites until foamy. Then add the cream of tartar. When they reach the s
oft-peak stage, sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Beat the vanilla in at the end. Spoon the meringue around the sides of the pie and seal to prevent it from shrinking. Scoop the rest into the center and smooth it down. Pick up peaks with the back of a spoon and bake for 4 minutes or until golden brown.
Per serving: 293 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat (9% calories from saturated fat), 49 g carbohydrate, 7 g protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 108 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Fat, 2½ Carbohydrate
SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS WITH LEMON AND DILL
Lemon juice takes the place of fat, does a great job of enhancing the browning, and boosts the flavor of the mushrooms in a whole new way.
SERVES 4
1 pound 1-inch-diameter white or brown mushrooms
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon dried dill
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Remove the stems from the mushrooms and save for stock. Clean the mushrooms with a dry cloth or soft brush.
Place a nonstick skillet big enough to hold the mushrooms in a single layer over medium heat. When hot, place the mushrooms, round side down, in the skillet. Sprinkle with the lemon juice, dill, and cayenne, and cook 3 minutes. Turn the mushrooms and cook 1 minute more or until they just lose their chalky, raw look. They will be a light golden brown.
Per serving: 21 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 5 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
ZUCCHINI WITH HERBS AND LEMON
For all the world this will look as though you’ve cooked with several sticks of butter, but to my taste, it’s better!
SERVES 4
2 medium zucchini (¾ pound)
1 teaspoon nonaromatic olive oil
½ cup finely sliced onions
1 garlic clove, bashed and chopped
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
Pinch of saffron
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon arrowroot mixed with 1 teaspoon water (slurry)
Trim the ends off the zucchini and cut in half lengthwise and then in half crosswise. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium heat, add the onions, and cook for 1 minute before adding the garlic and herbs. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, salt, black pepper, and stock. Cover and cook on medium-high for 7 minutes, until just tender. Stir in the saffron, lemon juice, and slurry. Continue cooking until the sauce is slightly thickened and glossy.
Per serving: 35 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 35 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
Lettuce
Lactuca sativa
Since lettuce is a native of the Mediterranean area, it is not unreasonable that the emperor Augustus constructed a statue of a physician who had recommended lettuce to treat him of a serious ailment. There’s no record of the kind of lettuce that cured Augustus, but according to some sources, it may have been what’s known as prickly lettuce, which doesn’t play a role in our kitchen garden.
Other than varieties that bring ailing emperors back to robust health, lettuce can be described in four basic styles, plus one miniature or baby:Iceberg (crisphead): dense, crisp head; white to pale green; rotund
Romaine (cos): tall and crisp; mostly deeper, dark green tops
Butterhead (Bibb): very tender, somewhat juicy broad leaves, with a smooth, even texture
Leaf: open head, separate leaves of mixed colors
Mesclun (spring mix): loose leaf varieties, with sparse more multipronged leaves; colors range from red to speckled, and tastes from mild to peppery
Greenhouse operators, no doubt inspired by Eliot Coleman’s amazing work at the Four Seasons Farm in Harborside, Maine, have almost flooded the market with their spring mix of lettuce that can be grown year round. This has transformed lettuce into a mixture of leaves that can stand alone without being smothered with a lava flow of bottled dressings!
The soil temperature to remember is 75ºF, but this time it’s an upper limit because most lettuce seed will not germinate when it’s too warm. Remarkably, it will germinate as low as 38ºF, so it follows that you can sow in early spring. I like the idea of a bed of mesclun mix that includes arugula, Bull’s Blood beet greens, winter red, kale, Pink Petiole, mixed mustard greens, Cherry Belle radish, and salad burnett. (Territorial Seeds do such a mix; the catalog number at this writing is MS480.) A four-grain packet will densely cover a 16-square-foot area. Be sure to cut it while young and always 2 inches above the soil; then it should grow back for a second crop.
The Numbers
For each 100 g romaine (3.5 oz; 1 cup packed): 24 calories, 0.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 0 mg sodium
Lettuce
Annual/Cool Season
Water: Light to moderate; irrigation from ground
Sun: Full; partial shade in hot weather
Companion Planting:
PRO: All vegetables except broccoli
CON: Broccoli
Pests: Aphids, beet leafhoppers, slugs, snails
Diseases: Bacterial soft rot, mildews
Notes: For all but spring mix, gather outer leaves first. When a core stem forms, remove the plant. Use scissors to cut 2 inches above the roots and let the plant regrow.
Soil : Well-drained (kept moist) sandy loam; well composted 3 months before planting
Fertilizer: High nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus with extra bonemeal; fish emulsion every 2 weeks
pH: 6.0-6.8
Varieties:
ICEBERG (CRISPHEAD): Great Lakes, Rouge de Grenobloise (resists bolting)
ROMAINE (COS): Little Gem, Parris Island
BUTTERHEAD (BIBB): Limestone, Boston, Summer Bibb (hot weather)
LEAF: Green Ice, Red Sails
MESCLUN (SPRING MIX): may include arugula, Bull’s Blood beet, winter red, kale, Pink Petiole, mixed mustard, Cherry Belle radish, salad burnett, and baby leaf lettuce
Zones: Can be planted in season in all zones.
Planting: Seed ¼-½ inch deep; 6-10 inches apart after thinning
Germinates: 2-10 days
Harvest: Iceberg, 80-90 days; romaine, 80-85 days; butterhead, 40-45 days; leaf, 40-50 days; mesclun, 30-40 days
Rotation: Don’t follow artichoke, radicchio, endive
Edible: Leaves
CREAM OF LETTUCE SOUP
This may sound strange, but it’s a terrific way to use good lettuce before it bolts and goes bitter.
SERVES 4
4 slices rye bread
1 pound romaine lettuce
1 teaspoon nonaromatic olive oil
1½ cups finely sliced onion
2 garlic cloves, bashed and chopped
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
2 cups 1% milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon dried dill plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with
4 tablespoons 1% milk (slurry)
1 tablespoon low-fat plain yogurt
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Remove the crusts from the bread and set aside for another use. Cut the bread into 1-inch squares. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet in one layer 10 minutes, until just browned and crisp. Wash the lettuce leaves, discarding the core. Place in a large saucepan, cover, and cook over medium heat 6 minutes. Uncover the pan and stir the lettuce to make sure it is all wilted, and cook for 2 minutes more if need be. Place the cooked lettuce in a blender container and set aside.
Reheat the saucepan over medium-high and add the oil. Sauté the onions for 2 minutes or until they begin to wilt, add the garlic, and
continue cooking until soft. Add the onion mixture to the lettuce, and whiz for 2 minutes or until very smooth. If you need a little liquid, add ¼ cup of the stock.
While the vegetables are being pureed, pour the stock and milk into the saucepan over medium-low. When the lettuce and onions are perfectly smooth, stir into the warm liquid. Add the salt, white pepper, and dill. Cover and simmer 7 minutes. Stir in the slurry and heat to thicken.
Serve in warm soup bowls with a dollop of yogurt and a scattering of dill. Pass the croutons.
Per serving: 211 calories, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat (4% calories from saturated fat), 38 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, ½ Fat-free Milk, ½ Fat
MESCLUN SALAD WITH FRUIT
Mesclun is also called spring mix. It is best assembled from a variety of lettuce from your own garden or from a farmers market and eaten on the day it’s purchased.
SERVES 6
FOR THE DRESSING
½ teaspoon arrowroot
¼ cup dry white wine8
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
FOR THE SALAD
3 oranges, peeled and segmented, reserving
any juice for the dressing
6 plums, quartered, pitted, and sliced
¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups mesclun
Prepare the dressing by combining the arrowroot with the wine in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until clear and slightly thickened. Stir in the orange juice and vinegar. Set aside to cool.
Place the oranges, plums, onion, and cilantro in a large salad bowl. When the dressing has cooled, pour it over the fruit and toss to mix well. Set aside until ready to serve.
To serve, toss the mixed greens with the dressed fruit.
Per serving: 72 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 3 g dietary fiber, 5 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable, 1 Fruit
