Spring Vegetable Ragout Recipes

Steps:

• Soak leeks in cold water for 5 minutes; lift out and drain. Repeat until no grit remains on bottom of bowl. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-highheat. Add leeks and salt and sauteuntil leeks are tender, about 2 minutes. Stirin asparagus, then water. Simmer coveredfor 2 minutes. Add snap peas and radishes,cover, and simmer for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in mustard until well combined, then swirl in butter and herbs. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Chop white and pale-green parts of leeks and wash well in a bowl of cold water. Lift leeks from water with a slotted spoon and transfer to a colander to drain. Trim fennel stalks flush with bulb and remove any discolored areas of bulb. Halve bulb lengthwise and cut each half crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, discarding cores. Halve or quarter larger morels lengthwise, leaving smaller ones whole.
• Cook turnips in a 6-quart heavy pot of salted boiling water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer turnips with slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking. (Keep water boiling.) Boil carrots until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes, and transfer with slotted spoon to ice water. Boil fava beans until crisp-tender, about 2‚ minutes, and transfer with slotted spoon to ice water. Gently boil potatoes until almost tender, about 15 minutes, and drain in colander. Rinse under cold running water. Drain blanched vegetables and gently peel outer skins from fava beans. Halve potatoes.
• Cook shallots, leeks, and salt and pepper to taste in 3 tablespoons butter in pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add broth, zest, and 1/4 cup herbs and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids. Discard solids and reserve broth.
• Cook morels in remaining 3 tablespoons butter in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and simmer until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes. Add fennel, asparagus, bell peppers, and reserved broth, then simmer, covered, until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Gently stir in blanched vegetables and simmer until all vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes.
• Serve ragout sprinkled with remaining 1/4 cup herbs.

Steps:

• Break off the stem ends of the sugar snap peas, and pull off the strings. Set aside.
• Rinse the asparagus, and snap off the ends where they break naturally. Cut the stalks in thirds. Set aside.
• Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water large enough to hold the artichokes, and put the squeezed halves in the bowl. Trim the stem ends of the artichokes, and slice about 1/4 inch off the tops. Pull off one or two layers of the outer leaves, slice the artichokes in half lengthwise and drop them into the bowl of acidulated water.
• Place a large, heavy saute pan or skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and half the scallions. Saute until they soften, then add the peas and stir-fry until they begin to turn bright green. Add the asparagus, and continue to stir-fry about 3 minutes, until asparagus turns bright green. Remove vegetables from pan.
• Add another tablespoon of the oil, the remaining scallions and the artichokes. Stir-fry over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the artichokes barely start to brown. Add the chicken stock and thyme, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the artichokes are tender, about 20 minutes. Return the peas and asparagus to the pan, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat until the peas and the artichokes are also tender, about 5 minutes longer. There should be enough liquid in the pan to moisten the vegetables. If not, add a little more stock.
• Stir in the remaining oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, dust with parsley and serve.

Steps:

• In a large hot saucepan heat oil. Add onion, 1/3 of garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme and saute until onions and garlic are fragrant. Stir in zucchini, 1/3 garlic and tarragon, partially cover pan and cook for approximately 3 minutes or until zucchini has begun to soften. Stir in plum tomatoes with juice, 1/3 garlic and basil, partially cover pan and cook for 7 minutes or until vegetables are crisp tender. Serve over rice. Top with Parmesan.

Steps:

• Cut the asparagus diagonally into 2-inch lengths.
• Cut the shallots or onion greens into 2-inch lengths, including all but the last inch or so of green tops.
• Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy-bottom saucepan.
• When it has melted, add the carrots and potatoes.
• Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the turnips, salt, pepper and sugar; cover and cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
• Add the shallots, cover, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the fava beans and peas, adding more butter if needed.
• Cover, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.
• By now, the vegetables should be almost tender.
• Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium.
• Add the wine, stirring and scraping up any bits clinging to the bottom.
• Stir in the herbs, the asparagus and any remaining butter.
• Cover, reduce heat, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until the asparagus is just tender.

Steps:

• Place 3 tablespoons butter in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. When melted, add carrots, onions, potatoes, fennel and a generous pinch of salt. Cover and cook 5 minutes.
• Add vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Add a little more salt, peas, fava beans and asparagus and simmer 5 minutes covered.
• Add remaining butter in bits, then chives and parsley. Check seasoning and serve in shallow soup plates.

Steps:

• Pour boiling water over the tomatoes, leave for 2 mins, then drain and peel off the skins. Quarter the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds, then chop into small cubes. Heat the oil in a pan, add the garlic and carrots, then gently fry for 5 mins. Add the tomatoes, thyme, bay and wine. Cook, uncovered, until the wine is reduced, about 5 mins. You can prepare up to this stage several hours ahead.
• Add the peas, onions and artichokes, cover, then simmer for 8-10 mins. Season and serve in 2 large bowls or divide between individual ramekins.

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt, return to a boil and add asparagus. Cook until just tender, drain asparagus, and immediately transfer to ice-water bath to cool. Drain from ice water and set aside.
• Bring a large saucepan of water and lemon juice to a boil over high heat. Add artichokes and cook until tender, about 15 minutes; drain.
• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook until softened, about 1 minutes. Add asparagus, artichokes, peas, thyme, and 2 tablespoons water. Bring to a simmer and cook until heated through. Remove thyme sprigs, season with salt and pepper, and stir in chopped herbs. Add remaining tablespoon butter and swirl until melted. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• First prepare the vegetables: If the potatoes are small, just leave them whole; if not cut them into bite-sized pieces.
• Carrots should be pencil thin, so cut lengthwise in halves or quarters.
• Break the cauliflower into florets.
• Cut the onion into thin halfmoons; separate the garlic, but leave it unpeeled.
• Steam the potatoes, over boiling water, in a tightly covered pot until tender, about 15 minutes; drain.
• Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet, over medium low heat and saute the onions and garlic until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce heat to the lowest setting and add the carrots and cauliflower to the skillet; season with 1 teaspoon salt and scatter the arugula over top.
• Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes (the arugula should exude some moisture, but you may want to add a splash or two of water or white wine).
• Once the carrots are done, transfer the potatoes to pan and drop butter in 1 tablespoon-sized chunks, stirring to make a light sauce.
• Garnish with tarragon and serve.

Steps:

• Fill medium bowl with cold water. Squeeze juice from lemon into bowl; add lemon. Cut off stem and top quarter from each artichoke. Bend back dark green outer leaves and snap off at artichoke base until only pale green and yellow leaves remain. Quarter each artichoke. Using small spoon, scoop out choke and any purple-tipped leaves. Transfer to lemon water.
• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain artichokes; add to skillet along with carrots. Cover; cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add asparagus and sugar snap peas. Cover; cook until vegetables are tender, stirring and adding water by tablespoonfuls if vegetables begin to brown, about 8 minutes. Stir in chervil. Season with salt and pepper.