THE THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN
33. VEGETABLES WITH ATTITUDE
I need some get up and go vegetables to go with the lamb shanks (essay 30). This should make for a fun dinner.
In the kadai: Hawkins Cookers Limited
• Turnips
• Fennel
• Red onion,Garlic
• Ginger
• Sweet potato
• Egg plant
• Carrots
• Cabbage
Around the kadai:
• EVO
• Black Beans
• Easy Garlic
• Goat ghee
• Tumeric
• Cumin seed
• Coriander seed
• Freshly ground cinnamon
• Pepper corn
• Salt
• Salsa roja (árbol chili)
• Goat yogurt
Note: This is really a simple construction project. It’s just about process, focus, patience, logic and wine.
Prepping the eggplant for a sweat.
Salting in glass bowl and then laying around a large colander. The colander goes into the glass bowl and you’ll be amazed how much water drips out.
Always look for firm and young turnips.
I like to cut stuff into uneven chunks.
Preparing all of this stuff is actually very fast. Peel and chop and it’s done before you know it.
I may use some of the fennel greens – maybe not. I’ll put them aside. Our girls that give us miracle eggs love to sit on Carol Ann’s lap and eat fennel greens.
Where’s the fennel?
Fennel. So good.
I’ve got two piles of onions. The rough chop is to help build the base and the thin sliced will go on at the very end along with half of the fennel.
This adds a lovely dimension of crisp and fresh along with the longer developed vegetable cook.
This is the best part of the medley – sweet potato.
I’m de-seeding this lemon and cutting it into smallish hunks which I will toss into the mix towards the end. I may pull them out at serving time or leave them in just for fun and to watch the expression on Carol Ann’s face when she bites into one.
It’s time to smash some garlic and mince the ginger.
A nice big pile of ginger will do. I’ll use it in the sauce plus at the beginning and end of the cook. That’s three times, which is why I need a hefty pile.
Now for the cabbage. Chop chop.
Everything sitting around the kadai is obvious. The stuff in the bowl will be blended together and folded into the vegetables as a sauce after they have begun to soften.
The sauce. Into the goat yogurt goes the garlic.
Then goes the cinnamon, turmeric, salsa roja, some salt and half of the ginger.
Whisk.
Looks like this! I’m transferring it into a convenient pouring vessel and taking it over to the stove. I love the color.
Everything is kind of lined up around the kadai in the sequence (give or take) of the cook.
Seed and ghee.
Releasing the fragrance of the seeds.
Onions begin to soften – add smushed garlic cloves.
Adding some of the ginger.
Black beans.
Carrots and sweet potato.
Egg plant.
Fold together.
Add a little water for some steam.
Cabbage.
Toss around.
A little cinnamon and toss some more.
Cover and let it begin to come together.
Adding some salt to taste.
Now for the sauce.
A little more water.
Time to toss in the lemon hunks.
Cover and let it work a while.
Like this.
Almost done. Time for the fresh onion, fennel and ginger.
Last sprinkle of cinnamon.
Cover and keep on simmer. By this stage it should be served within 5 minutes or so. The onions and fennel must remain crispy and the cinnamon fragrance should linger.
Cucumber is of the Night Shade family which (in some scientific circles) is thought to encourage leaky gut. Apparently the seeds and skin contain most of the problem lectins so I remove both just for peace of mind.
We eat Night Shade stuff only on occasion.
Skinless and seedless, cold and delicious spears to counteract the savory and sweet of the dinner.
A kiss of salt & pepper.
It’s ready.
Dinner is almost there. The last job is to spoon the fruit and lamb reduction (essay 32) over the shank pieces (essay 30).
Like this. It was really good and an adventure as well.
MORE THIN-LEAF CONEFLOWER KITCHEN ESSAYS
30. lamb for sous vide
31. lamb stock
32. lamb reduction
33. vegetables with attitude
34. a bean salad dinner
35. left-overs
36. lamb & parsley soup
Thanks for visiting with me.
Paul V’Soske
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