Ten ways to perk up vegetables

We eat a lot of vegetables at Chez Kilt.  Our typical dinner is a protein and two veggies, and we’ve adopted the European custom of eating a salad at the end of the meal (usually instead of dessert).  All the usual health considerations apply here, but I also think that vegetables taste better than most starches (although I’d waver on this when considering a good pasta with a great sauce).

The thing is, though, that vegetables can get boring if you don’t put a little effort into it.  There are few things better than seasonally veggies simply prepared.  Think, for example, of spring asparagus, steamed, with just a touch of butter or a good extra virgin olive oil. Or think of a November platter of carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and onions roasted with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Great, right?  Now imagine those fresh, seasonal asparagus for five days in a row – the glow has definitely worn off.

On the other hand, you may not want to make a big production of the side dishes, particularly if you are either pressed for time or putting most of your effort into the meat/fish course.  There’s an attractiveness to steaming/boiling/roasting whatever you have that’s on-hand and fresh and the results will usually be pretty good, but to keep things from getting stale and to keep your palate interested, you sometimes need to go a step or two further.  Here are ten ways to add a touch of flavor to your veggies.  The ground rules are that a simple cooking method of roasting or steaming/boiling is used, no additional pots, pans, or bowls are allowed (i.e., no sautéing), and the technique must take a minute or less.

1. Add just a splash of an acid, like vinegar or lemon juice.  My favorites are sherry or champagne vinegar.  Lots of people use balsamic vinegar, but I’m a little bored with that.  The key is to add just a little bit, enough to add some brightness and amplify the flavor or the salt and pepper.

   

2. Preserved lemons are one of my secret weapons.  I like them so much I have to guard against overuse, but they can be amazing.  There are lots of preparations but basically, we’re talking about whole lemons packed in salt with lemon juice and maybe some other stuff, sealed, and packed away.  The resulting peel retains the lemon flavor but is a little deeper, a little less sharp, and with that great salty overtone.  The flesh can be used for flavoring soups or sauces, but the peel, trimmed into thin slices, is a fantastic garnish for vegetables.  Preserved lemons are an essential ingredient for North African cooking but can be hard to find in traditional supermarkets.  Amazon has a few varieties and it isn’t hard to make your own.
3. Fresh herbs are always great.  If you’re roasting, add a sprig or two of rosemary or thyme.  For steamed/boiled vegetables, add pretty much anything you like before tossing with a little oil and vinegar or lemon juice. My favorites are tarragon, thyme, oregano, and basil.
4. For roasted vegetables, toss them in seasoned breadcrumbs before plating.  There are commercially available seasoned breadcrumbs that are pretty good (I like Pastene, for example) but you can also make your own by adding herbs, grated cheese, salt, pepper, paprika, or anything else you like to finely crushed breadcrumbs.
5. Flavored salts can make a huge difference.  Philadelphia’s Italian Market is very close to my house and Claudio’s carries a great salt seasoned with dried rosemary, oregano, and other herbs.  Various kinds of smoked salts and Himalayan pink salt are pretty easy to find and can add a real twist without much effort.  If your supermarket doesn’t go beyond basic white table salt, Amazon has a good selection.

   

6. Citrus zest is another way of adding a small amount of flavorful acid to dish.  Scrape a lemon, lime, or orange against the smallest holes on your box grater until you get about a teaspoon or so of peel and then sprinkle it on your veggies. Don’t scrape down all the way to the white part of the peel.  That’s the pith and can be very bitter and unappetizing.
7. It’s not hard to add a little Asian flavoring to vegetables, as long as you remember that the key to Asian sauces is balance.  Soy sauce and fish sauce are salty, mirin adds sweetness and acidity, rice wine vinegar brings acidity, and garlic and ginger have their own characteristics.  So to create an ad hoc dressing for, say, steamed broccoli, add a teaspoon each of soy sauce, seasoned rice wine vinegar, and minced ginger, and maybe a half-teaspoon of sugar for balance.  This takes no time at all and gives the broccoli a brand new look.
8. A little heat can also jump start your veggies.  A pinch of red pepper flakes will work, but so will some Tabasco or some other hot sauce, sriracha, Chinese hot oil, or chili powder.  Just be careful not to let the heat overpower things.
9. Flavored or infused oils can do wonders, just like flavored salts.  I’ve bought, used, and made garlic oil, tarragon oil, thyme oil, hot pepper oil, basil oil, truffle (both white and black) oil, rosemary oil, lemon oil, and, well, I’m sure you get the picture.  Making your own is easy, but outside the scope of this post.  Maybe later.
10. Finally, I’ve written before about how much I rely on sauces and condiments (here, here, here, and here) but since many of them require more than 60 seconds to put together, they are out of bounds for this post.  However, you can do a real quickie by dropping one or two handy ingredients into a tablespoon or so of mayonnaise to come up with something pretty good.  For example, a splash of cider vinegar, a couple of chopped gherkins, salt, and pepper, when added to mayonnaise occupy a space between cole slaw dressing and tartar sauce that’s perfect for many green vegetables.  Add some dijon mustard and horseradish, or a commercial pesto sauce, or even white miso and the mayonnaise is transformed into something new and interesting.  As with many of the techniques I’ve listed, the key is to not use too much and not be too heavy-handed.  You still want to taste the vegetables.

What are your ideas for keeping your fresh vegetables interesting?