Basic Vegetable Preparations

The main reason there are so few "recipes" for vegetables is that vegetables are best, I think, when fresh items are cooked simply. Usually I cook vegetables by sauteeing or steaming. However, all cooking methods -- including roasting, grilling, and deep-fat frying -- are sometimes appropriate.

When cooking vegetables, try not to gild the lilly. Vegetables, if fresh and picked ripe, are good, and you really have to work to make them bad. If you come in with a basket of green beans from the garden, boiling them in salted water is as good a preparation as any. Zucchini chopped into chunks and sauteed in olive oil on high heat until browned and softened are delicious. Broccoli florets steamed and lightly sprinkled with salt are addictive.

One thing I might mention is a personal preference, not a rule: Don't prepare hot, raw vegetables. A cooked vegetable should not be mushy, but it should be cooked. Resistance to the bite? Sure. Crisp? Uh ... Crunchy? No. If you like crunchy vegetable, cut them up and serve them raw. But, like I said, a cooked vegetable should be cooked.

So, I don't have a lot of recipes for vegetables. Pick nice items, keep the preparation simple, and you should do fine.


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