by Graham Kerr
½-inch dice (save peelings)
1½ pounds carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch piece (save peelings)
1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut
into 1-inch dice (save peelings)
1½ pounds parsnips, peeled and cut into
1-inch dice (save peelings)
8 ounces celery, cut into ½-inch pieces
8 ounces Swiss chard stalks, cut into ½-inch
pieces (yield 2 cups)
1 quart low-sodium vegetable stock
(see page 288)
20 cups cold water
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Greek Islands Ethmix
(see page 287) (optional)
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with water
(slurry; only 1 teaspoon for each portion)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt to taste
Equipment: To cook a large amount at one time, you will need a 10-quart saucepan or stockpot (available through a restaurant supply business) and a large, heavy-based frying pan that’s at least 10½ inches in diameter. You’ll also need quart-size freezer bags.
First, thoroughly wash all the vegetable peelings and sauté them lightly in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high in a large saucepan. Add the stock and 20 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes. Strain the stock into jugs or bowls and discard the vegetable peelings into the compost. Taste the broth and add just enough salt to begin to make a difference.
Add to the frying pan 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté the onions until just brown. At this time, you can add the ginger and garlic.
Turn the onions into the large saucepan and set the heat on medium-low.
Now sauté each of the following ingredients, one at a time, until just colored, and tip onto the onions, mix, and let cook together. This is the order of addition: rutabagas, turnips, carrots, sweet potatoes, parsnips, celery, and chard stalks.
Simmer the vegetables in the stock and add spice mix. Test the carrots after 25 minutes; when they are tender, the rest will be just right.
When done, remove 1 quart of the cooking liquid to a smaller pan, and add the slurry and parsley. Bring to a boil and continue boiling for 30 seconds, to clear the starch taste and thicken the stock. Pour this back into the main saucepan and stir well.
Count 1-1½ cups of the stew per head and add, if you wish, one of the following add-on garnishes. The remaining vegetables and their liquid can be spooned into 1-quart freezer bags, dated, and quick-frozen for later use.
When defrosted and reheated, you will need to repeat the cornstarch thickening to regain the texture and gloss (1 teaspoon per portion is enough).
Add-on Garnishes
1. Red kidney beans—add ¼ cup per serving.
Per serving: 139 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 27 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 7 g dietary fiber, 274 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable
2. Whole grains—cooked bulgur, quinoa, couscous, barley, or brown rice; add ½ cup per serving.
Per serving with brown rice: 194 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 6 mg dietary fiber, 90 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1½ Starch, 2 Vegetable
3. Garbanzo beans—add ¼ cup cooked per serving.
Per serving: 157 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 31 g carbohydrate, 5 g protein, 7 g dietary fiber, 264 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable
4. Dried fruit—cranberries, raisins, dates, figs, apricots, plums, apples. Add ¼ cup per serving.
Per serving with raisins: 209 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 50 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 6 g dietary fiber, 89 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
5. Spices—cumin is especially nice, or try one of my Ethmixes (see page 286).
Per serving: 86 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 85 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
6. Tofu—dice in 1-inch cubes, toss in brewer’s yeast, and sauté; add 2 ounces per portion.
Per serving: 121 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 19 g carbohydrate, 6 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber, 105 mg sodium. Exchanges: 2 Vegetable
Spinach
Spinacea oleracea
I planted my spinach in a partially shaded area (just behind the shed), and I’m so glad I did. We had a shockingly sunny summer for the Pacific Northwest, and with our long days, this made for bolting conditions for these tender plants.
Not only heat can cause bolting but also what I, as a Scot, call stingy planting... that is, planting too close together to maximize growth in a small space. Spinach really needs at least 4 inches clear space for air circulation and no more than 10 hours of sun a day. But even then, temperatures above 75ºF are usually bad news, and shade is essential.
When harvesting, start with the outer leaves to encourage growth of the inner leaves and to promote air circulation. If you choose to cut the whole plant, do so 3 inches above soil level and it may grow back for you—mine didn’t, but perhaps it was too hot.
I really enjoy these wonderfully flavored tender leaves in salads, especially along with strawberries—a lovely combination. Or I pour a stew or thick soup over a base of fresh leaves, which quickly wilt but still retain that beautiful color.
The Numbers
Dark green leaves are especially valuable from a nutritional standpoint, and spinach certainly delivers more than its fair share. The only possible caution is for those of us who think that one kidney stone is too many. (See also kohlrabi on page 164.)
For each 100 g raw (3.5 oz; 1 cup): 33 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 79 mg sodium
Spinach
Annual
Water: Light/even, drip irrigation
Sun: Full; partial shade in hot weather
Companion Planting:
PRO: Beans, cabbage family, lettuce, onions, strawberries
CON: Any tall plant, including Brussels sprouts, pole beans, corn, rhubarb
Pests: Aphids, slugs, snails, cabbage loopers
Diseases: Curly top virus, spinach blight rust
Soil : Fine sandy soil, well drained
Fertilizer: Lots of compost; moderate nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium; fish emulsion every 1-2 weeks
pH: 6.0-6.8
Varieties: Olympia (for cool areas), Tyee (bolt resistant), Space (semicurly leaves). See also New Zealand spinach (page 192) for warm-weather planting.
Zones: 5-10
Planting: Early spring (4-6 weeks before last frost), when soil is workable; seed ¼ inch deep, 2 inches apart; thin to 4-6 inches to avoid bolting
Germinates : 6-14 days
Harvest: From seed, 40-60 days
Rotation: Don’t follow legumes
Edible: Leaves
CRUSTLESS SPINACH RICOTTA QUICHE
This is a wonderful new way to enjoy spinach, and the presentation rivals a good small pizza.
SERVES 6
12 cups (a little more than 1 pound) well-
washed fresh spinach or 1 (12-ounce)
package frozen spinach, thawed
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup finely chopped onions
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
1 cup egg substitute9 (or 4 whole eggs), beaten
½ teaspoon dried dill
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
3 plum tomatoes, seeds and juice removed,
chopped (yield 1 cup)
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch pie plate or springform pan.
Steam the fresh spinach about 2 minutes until just wilted. Frozen spinach won’t need to be cooked, just thawed. Press the water out of the cooked or thawed spinach and set aside.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook the onions until soft but not brown. Combine the ricotta chees
e, egg substitute, dill, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the spinach, tomatoes, and onions. Mix thoroughly and tip into the prepared pan.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top and bake about 30 minutes until set. Let the quiche cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before slicing in wedges and serving.
Per serving: 102 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat (18% calories from saturated fat), 7 g carbohydrate, 11 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 342 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable
SPINACH SAUTÉ ON RICE
Here we have an unusual fried-rice dish filled with aroma, color, and texture. It’s almost a wilted salad. Use sun-dried tomatoes that are dry packed, not marinated in oil.
SERVES 4
2 bunches (about 12 ounces) spinach,
stemmed and thoroughly washed
¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, bashed and chopped
2 cups thick-sliced mushrooms (⅓ inch)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
Cut the spinach leaves in ½-inch strips and set aside for later. Cover the sun-dried tomatoes with hot water and soak 15 minutes. Drain and chop.
Heat the oil in a high-sided skillet over medium-high. Sauté the onions 2 minutes. Add the garlic and reconstituted tomatoes, and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the mushrooms and cook 3-5 minutes until they begin to wilt.
Add the spinach, stirring to mix well. Cover and cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts but is still bright green. Season with salt and black pepper and spoon over the rice. Scatter the pine nuts on top.
Per serving: 210 calories, 5 g fat, 1 g saturated fat (4% calories from saturated fat), 35 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 5 g dietary fiber, 285 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Vegetable, 1 Fat
SZECHWAN SPINACH
A wilted spinach side dish with tremendous flavor.
SERVES 4
8 cups well-washed spinach leaves or 1
(16-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Pinch of dried, crushed chiles
½ teaspoon finely chopped gingerroot
2 green onions (scallions), sliced
Place the spinach in a colander and pour boiling water over the top to wilt the leaves. Drain well.
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, chiles, and ginger. Toss with the spinach and green onions to coat well. Stir over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.
Per serving: 38 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 7 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 407 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
Squash (Summer)
Cucurbita pepo
Summer squash obviously love warm weather and warm soil from 65ºF-85ºF. In our climate, this was a stretch, so I invested in some green mulch plastic sheeting that I found in the Territorial Seed catalog (see References and Resources on page 303). You simply spread it out over the bed of well-composted soil and weigh it down carefully (gardening experts suggest using rebar steel). This keeps the weeds down and greatly increases soil temperature. Cut an X every 36 inches, stagger them across the bed, and plant good starts (grown indoors in at least 2-inch pots, 2 seeds per pot) very carefully (the roots are extremely tender) in each opening.
If you’ve got the space, they do really well when sown directly into a well-composted bank that inclines south and west, allowing 6 inches between seeds.
I love the way that three vegetables—squash, corn, and beans—can be grown together as the perfect example of a good community. The corn grows up on its own stake (stalk); the beans wrap their tendrils around the cornstalk and climb; the squash hugs the soil in between the cornstalks and keeps down the weeds. Of course, this is much harder to achieve with the plastic mulch and a cooler climate.
To this symbiotic group, add summer savory, which can keep the bean pests at bay and is also a great herb to add to squash, bean, and corn dishes. (I’m told that radishes also keep the bugs at bay. So now we’ve got five sisters: See what I mean about a community? The common good is the good we can do in common!)
Companion planting allows me to reinforce the idea of FABIS (fresh and best in season). FABIS applies especially when referring to foods that are harvested at the same time and that can be used in one dish, such as a ratatouille or succotash, to celebrate the season in a particular microclimate.
The Numbers
For each 100 g boiled (3.5 oz; ½ cup): 16 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 3 mg sodium
Squash (Summer)
Annual
Water: Heavy, drip irrigation
Sun: Full
Companion Planting:
PRO: Celery, corn, onions, radishes, peas, beans
CON: Potatoes, pumpkins
Pests: Squash vine borers, squash bugs
Diseases: Mildews
Soil : Rich with humus and compost, good drainage
Fertilizer: High nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium
pH: 5.5-6.8
Varieties:
ZUCCHINI: Gold Rush, Space Master, Eight Ball (the latter is really odd: normally green but as round as a pool ball)
SCALLOP/PATTYPAN: Sunburst, Starship
CROOKNECK (YELLOW): Saffron, Horn of Plenty
Zones: 3-7 (for bush varieties); 6-10 (for vines)
Planting: Outdoors, when soil temperature reaches 70ºF; indoors, 3-4 weeks before last frost (2 seeds per 2-inch pot); seed ½-1 inch deep, 12-18 inches apart; thin to 36 inches
Germinates: 7-10 days
Harvest: From seed, 50-60 days
Rotation: Don’t follow winter squash, cucumbers, melons
Edible: Fruit
BABY SQUASH SAUTÉ
SERVES 4
1 pound mixed baby squash, such as pattypan
or yellow crookneck
½ teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Wash and trim off the stem end of the squash and dry on paper towels. Cut larger ones in half.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sauté the squash 6-8 minutes until tender. Stir in the garlic, salt, and black pepper. Cook 1 minute longer; sprinkle with the parsley and serve.
Per serving: 30 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g protein, 1 g dietary fiber, 144 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
FRITTATA PRIMAVERA
This is the same as an open-faced omelet with vegetables throughout. It’s one of my favorite brunch meals.
SERVES 2
3 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
½ cup asparagus pieces
½ cup pattypan or yellow crookneck squash pieces (½-inch pieces)
½ cup cut sugar snap peas, strings pulled
(½-inch pieces)
¼ teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus a pinch
¾ cup egg substitute10
1 tablespoon low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a 10-inch skillet and cook onion 2-3 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the asparagus, squash, peas, basil, and black pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, 3-5 minutes until tender but still slightly crisp. Set aside.
Preheat the broiler. Gently fold the egg substitute with the yogurt and another pinch of black pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a heavybottom, broiler-safe skillet. Pour in the egg mixture and cook
1 minute until just set on the bottom but still wet on the top. Scatter the vegetables over the top and set in the oven 4 inches from the heat to finish cooking, 2 minutes. Dust the top with Parmesan cheese, cut into wedges, and serve.
Per serving: 155 calories, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat (12% calories from saturated fat), 8 g carbohydrate, 12 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 234 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Very Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 2 Fat
STEAMED PATTYPAN
SERVES 4
4 pattypan squash (2½- to 3-inch diameter), cut in half top to bottom
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or
1 teaspoon dried
Lay the squash halves in a steamer and season with salt, black pepper, and basil. Steam over boiling water 6 minutes or until tender but still firm. A spritz of extra-virgin olive oil wouldn’t hurt!
Per serving: 28 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 2 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 141 mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 Vegetable
ZUCCHINI FRITTERS
I adapted a classic fritter recipe to a pancake style so that it still delivers all the goodness of the vegetable without the added fat of deep-frying. This could become a great family favorite and can take the place of a starch.
SERVES 4
5 tablespoons pancake mix
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup egg substitute or 2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped zucchini
2 tablespoons chopped sweet onion
2 tablespoons diced green chiles, such as
Anaheim
Combine the pancake mix, black pepper, and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Stir in the eggs. Add the zucchini, onion, and chiles, and stir to blend.
