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August 30, 2013 Add fresh taste to chagBASYA LAYEIf the idea of planning meals for the chaggim in August seems a little bit out of step, you’re not alone. With the uncommonly consistent sunny weather we’ve experienced in the Lower Mainland this summer, getting into a chag mindset feels rushed, uninspired – and out of season. There is no better time of year, however, to experiment and improvise with the abundant fresh produce that is readily available at your nearby grocery or farmers market, or in your own backyard garden. One way to more keenly welcome the High Holidays this year is to make culinary adjustments that compliment the early seasonal transition by using local summer-kissed produce – a task readily inspired by Seattle-based chef Michael Natkin’s debut cookbook, Herbivoracious (Harvard Common Press, 2013). A vegetarian since 1984, Natkin developed his love for cooking alongside a 25-year career as a software engineer specializing in computer graphics. “Whenever I had a moment to spare,” he writes, “I spent it in the kitchen or reading and writing about food.” It was a six-month leave of absence, during which time, he writes, “my family and I spent a month eating our way through Israel and Italy,” and then a period of interning in the kitchens of well-known restaurants in Seattle and New York, that made him decide to leave his full-time job for a life “fully committed to food.” Natkin’s goal is to “reinvigorat[e] vegetarian cuisine with modern techniques and bold, authentic flavors,” something he’s been doing for some time on his successful food blog Herbivoracious (herbivoracious.com), and with the writing of his first cookbook. The result is a friendly, bright and well-organized collection of 150 vegetarian recipes, combining global flavors, and including appealing and instructive color photographs (taken by Natkin). Divided into 11 sections, it’s an approachable effort that incorporates various (valuable) notes about substitutions, preparation techniques and creative meal-planning ideas. The note that appeals most to the informal cook that I am is a vote in favor of not sticking to the recipes! In fact, Natkin, on his blog and in the cookbook, encourages his readers to readily share their suggestions for improvements and substitutions. Natkin goes so far as to include “Talking with my blog readers” notes that reveal the level of crowdsourcing he’s welcomed, and he quotes e-mail exchanges with blog readers. Natkin doesn’t “care whether you call yourself a vegetarian, carnivore, pescetarian or flexitarian. Labels don’t matter. I want to make sure that if you cook a meatless meal tonight, it is hearty and delicious.” He reinforces this philosophy in the introduction to Herbivoracious. “This is a golden age for creative, intelligent vegetarian cuisine,” he writes. “Never again need anyone say, ‘That wasn’t bad, for a vegetarian meal.’” I chose to build a light meal around the fresh and bright flavors of Southeast Asia for my holiday-cooking trial run, and the three recipes I selected incorporate colorful and flavorful late-summer harvest vegetables, including corn, fresh herbs, hot peppers, summer squashes, onions and tomatoes. One aspect of the book that may dissuade some amateur chefs is that Natkin incorporates some “specialty” ingredients in several of the recipes, such as chantarelles, Thai bird chilis, kaffir lime leaves, kombu, sake, smoked paprika and preserved lemons. I would, however, encourage those interested in developing a more diverse palate to explore a local ethnic market to find those ingredients, including specific spices and herbs – it’s worth it, and it doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. If it’s not possible, Natkin provides enough information on appropriate substitutions (including those to make recipes gluten-free or vegan) that it’s probably not going to be a big issue. I found that the cooking times were accurate but, overall, the prep time was underestimated – and I’m a fairly methodical and efficient sous chef. Note that the recipe headnotes have been shortened due to space restrictions here, but retain any significant directions. Shana tova. BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH ORANGE-JALAPEÑO SALSA I developed this black bean soup so that it would satisfy those who prefer mild dishes (including kids), as well as those of us who prefer bolder spice. The soup is very straightforward and, on the side, we have a bright and intense orange and jalapeño salsa. I find that home-cooked beans are far better than canned. They just seem to have more flavor and a better texture. On the other hand, canned beans are convenient if you haven’t thought ahead to soak and boil a batch. Just be sure to rinse them well. Alternatively, get a pressure cooker and you can decide to make beans in the late afternoon and have them beautifully cooked for dinner that night. You can purée the soup with a stick blender, blender or potato masher. To serve, add Mexican crema or sour cream, or make it vegan by adding avocado slices. 6 cups cooked black beans, cooking liquid reserved, or 4 15-oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed For the salsa: Place the beans and bay leaves in a six-quart pot. Add enough reserved cooking liquid or water (with a little vegetable broth powder, if you wish) to barely cover the beans. Bring to a simmer. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and a big pinch of salt, and sauté until the vegetables are starting to brown, about five minutes. Add the oregano, cumin and smoked paprika and cook for one minute more. Remove from heat. Pluck the bay leaves out of the beans. Stir the onion mixture into the simmering beans. Remove the soup from the heat, and lightly purée (safely). I like it about 75 percent puréed, with some significant texture left. Return the soup to the heat. Add more water as needed to produce a soup that’s moderately thick, but thinner than a stew. Taste and adjust the seasoning. It will almost certainly need salt unless you used pre-salted canned beans. You may also find you want more cumin or smoked paprika. Simmer for at least 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. For the salsa: Cut the oranges into supremes (separate into sections and remove the skin and pith), and then cut into cubes. Mix with the red onion, jalapeño pepper and a quarter-teaspoon kosher salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Immediately before serving, stir in the cilantro. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and either top with approximately three tablespoons of the salsa and some crema, or pass the salsa and crema at the table. THAI TOFU SALAD Thai salads (yams) are tremendously refreshing, full of the bright flavors of herbs, citrus and chili peppers, balanced with salt and sweetness from either fruit or palm sugar. They are great with a beer or as part of a complete meal with rice and a curry or noodle dish. The traditional way to eat these salads is to use Thai sticky rice to pick them up or wrap them in lettuce or cabbage leaves. Once you understand their basic esthetic, you can improvise your own yams. Feel free to include just about any tropical fruit, raw or lightly cooked vegetables, or roasted peanuts. Adjust the heat level and add or subtract from the dressing. Replace cilantro with Thai basil; add garlic, fresh ginger or lemongrass. For the dressing: For the salad For the dressing: Combine the soy sauce, lime juice, sugar, chilis and shallots in a salad bowl. Taste and add salt as needed, and adjust other components to get a good balance of flavors. It should be very intense; it will seem much milder when tossed with the salad. For the salad: Heat the oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat. Pat the tofu dry. Add the tofu to the skillet in a single layer and fry until quite brown on one side, three to five minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Transfer to paper towels and season with salt and pepper. After the tofu has cooled, cut it further, into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Add the tofu, cucumber, scallions, cilantro and mint to the bowl with the dressing. Toss well. Garnish with a few leaves of cilantro and serve. STIR-FRIED CORN WITH LEMONGRASS Corn has a great affinity for the Southeast Asian flavors of lemongrass, lime, ginger and chilis. Sautéing over high heat with these aromatic makes a bright, flavorful side dish. This is one recipe where frozen corn won’t do. If you try to use it still frozen, it will lower the heat too much, and if you defrost it first, the kernels will be soggy. 3 tbsp vegetable oil To prepare the lemongrass, remove and discard all but the bottom three inches, keeping only the nearly white portion. Trim a quarter-inch off the root end. Remove the tough outer layers so you have only the fairly tender stalk. Put that stalk on your cutting board and address it lovingly but firmly with the bottom of a saucepan or the side of a cleaver. Whack it several times, until it is rather flattened. Mince the squashed bits, and it is ready to use. Place a wok or a large skillet over very high heat. When the wok is very hot, add the vegetable oil, onion, lemongrass, ginger, kaffir lime leaves and chilis. Stir-fry until fragrant, about one minute. Add the squash, bell pepper and lime zest, and stir-fry for one minute. Add the corn and salt and stir-fry until tender, two to three minutes. Stir in the lime juice and turn off the heat. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the kaffir lime leaves. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with cherry tomatoes, scallions, some fresh ground pepper and a few flakes of sea salt. Serve hot.
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