Plantes Vertes

Here, you can borrow my handkerchief.

Thanks! It was the mushrooms that had me stumped.

dcarch, your beautiful and original creations are always intriguing and were indeed the first thing to have drawn me to join eGullet recently. I wonder if you could tell me what your prime rib is lying on - yams perhaps? Do you eat every element of your dishes, or are there sometimes parts added purely for decoration? Thanks for the continuing inspiration!

Yes it sounds like that would be fine; I think the method I saw specifically wanted to end up with a single piece of meat, but as yours is to be demolished for sausages I doubt that sort of care is necessary. Good luck with the merguez!

Google suggests it's done by lying the neck down on the board and cutting straight in to the bone along its length (so the cut describes the radius of the cross-section), then cutting around the bone so the neck meat gradually opens out into a single strip.

On the egg theme, I had a very pleasant and similar dish at the Harwood Arms in London last year, from their vegetarian menu; it was a SV egg deep fried in panko on a baby leaf salad with hazelnut oil, halzelnut pieces (I think there were pieces), white truffle and deep-fried Jerusalem artichoke crisps. It was delicious but turned out to be rather one-dimensional; all the major flavours were sort of autumnal and soft. If it had had some bitterness such as the radicchio suggested above it would have been perfect. Google images of the meat version of the egg (a Scotch egg) are numerous. I think it would be nice to serve the breaded egg in an egg cup, as it looks a little like an egg still in the shell. Then you could sneak a little surprise, such as a crouton with truffle oil, into the cup under the egg as well. If you are willing to spend some long a frustrating moments extracting eggs from their shells, the egg can be served alongside something stuffed into the whole voided shell; a sauce or relish, or, if the radicchio idea were taken up, a little raddichio risotto, for example. For a rather kitsch touch you could also gather the shells well ahead of time and serve them with some living mustard cress growing inside, with some little scissors to snip it with (egg and cress is ubiquitous as a sandwich filling in these parts). Indeed stuffed vegetables would be another retro notion (baby pumpkins, round courgettes); you can put pureed soups and risottos inside them. Perhaps it's too old-fashioned though Another very beautiful dish I've recently made myself inspired by the terrines topic on this forum (and which has the advantage that it can be prepared in advance) is a roast mediterranean vegetable terrine; it's set with agar agar, which you can easily get in powder form from the supermarket where I live. The terrine tin is lined with spinach or chard, then strips of roasted red and yellow peppers, courgette and aubergine dipped into the agar agar solution and layered in the dish. Once the dish is full the rest of the jelly is poured in and the whole thing sets under a weight overnight. It's nice to make the roasted vegetables a day ahead and allow them to rest so the flavours can develop. I served it with a tomato sauce, capers and thin slices of toasted rosemary foccacia. I also find cannelloni of braised leek from which the inner layers have been removed, and served with a filling of creamed leeks and/or mushrooms, or creamed cannellini beans, is a very attractive way to serve vegetables, as is ravioli consisting of beetroot or turnip slices either layered or folded over and filled with a nut preparation. These can be dressed with a pesto, and of course lasagna-style dishes with strips of larger vegetables are possible too. Member mm84321 recently showed a very lovely-looking feuillette of morels and sauce vin jaune in the Dinner! 2013 thread. I don't know how this was prepared but a vegetarian version would surely be easy to devise, or else a millefeuille of vegetables on similar lines. You might also create small quiches or streudels within the pastry theme. Savoury custards (a truffled mushroom custard is very good) and/or crumbles (the crumble topping of toasted grains, seeds and nuts can be added to a ragout-type dish or to a set custard) could also constitute a course. I mention just as a precaution, as it is very little realised, that most enjoyable cheeses are non-veggie, as they contain rennet (a ccoagulant obtained from the stomach of a cow). Most supermarket-standard cheese is produced in vegetarian versions, but not that produced in the traditional way. Lastly, I made a vegan meal for lunch today, the menu of which I posted in the Easter Menus thread on this forum, if you forgive the self-publicity. The dishes would be nice in vegetarian versions too, I think. Here's the link. I'd love to know what menu you decide in the end and how your vegetarian feast turns out!

You can roast chickpeas as a snack; heat the oven to gas mark 8, put the chickpeas on a baking sheet, drizzle on a little olive oil and add whatever seasoning you like (cayenne pepper is nice, or smoked paprika would resemble the bbq flavour). Cook them for 1/2hr-40mins. There are also kale chips, which I expect are dear to buy, but you can make them at home; Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, remove the stems and wash the leaves then drain, put the kale on a baking sheet, drizzle with a little olive oil and mix to spread over the leaves, add your preferred seasonings (chilli flakes are good); bake for 10-15mins. I have heard that eating excessive salt decreases your sensitivity to it, so as you reduce your intake you'll probably crave salt less. And congrats on your diet change!

Perhaps the truffles bore him?

Perhaps a thesuarus or crossword dictionary would help? You could look up terms associated with your ingredients and see if anything alliterates, rhymes or otherwise sounds snazzy. Eg Herbsaint, Chartreuse, St. Germain - Holy + Pig's Nose - Hog = Holy Hog or Corsair - Buckaneer + rosewater (and other shrubby things) - bouquet = Buckaneer's Bouquet.

'Sazerac' sounds drunk already - you can't make it worse, whatever's happening to your tongue.

Yes, you do the smoking when it's raw, then use it in the recipe - the confit in this case. It's good in soup too

Tell me about the smoked fennel please.Sure - what you do is line a saucepan with tin foil (otherwise you'll have to throw out the pan ) and put in whatever aromatics (dried) you want the smoke to taste of. I used fennel seeds and Earl Grey tea. You only need say 1-2 TBS total. Then place either a metal trivet or just an improvised frame made of wire in the pan to hold the vegetables raised up above the tea. Chop the fennel in half and put it on the trivet. Turn the heat up high until the aromatics start to smoulder, then place another piece of foil over the top, whack the lid on and turn the heat down to the lowest possible. After four minutues turn off the heat and take the lid off outside. Make sure to open all available windows throughout the procedure. It's best to do this well in advance of company arriving, unless you want to smoke them too . You can do onions, garlic and nuts in the same way, and no doubt other vegetables.

Perhaps sugar syrup? Melted butter? Milk? Fruit juice? Rum? Just thinking aloud...

I'm going to do (for a birthday, but on Easter day): Mixed leaf salad, various breads Mosaic of beetroot and celeriac fondant, almond paste Fermented apple, smoked fennel and lemon confit, cannellini bean paste, fennel emulsion Artichoke sausage, charred artichoke, breakfast radish, pickled cabbage, lentils Cauliflower steak with almond crust, leek, celeriac and hazelnut pyramid with olive oil emulsion, herb salad Spiced apples, hazelnut milk ice-cream, pralines For our sins, we still have winter here. Very much envying you all your asparagus!

That sounds interesting. Unfortunately, it appears my granddaughter is one of the unlucky souls thus afflicted. I'd like that recipe, Soba, if you have it. Or a link... You can also make it with cauliflower, by processing the cauliflower into small grains to replace the bulghur; you can steam or sautee it or leave it raw.

Are you planning to stuff it? For a classic recipe of saddles stuffed and rolled in bacon/caul fat or similar, cooked conventionally by frying or in the oven, you wouldn't want it on the heat for more than 10mins. You could either: -brown the rolled-up saddles all over very quickly in a hot pan and then finish quickly in an oven at gas 7 for another 5-7mins, or finish slowly at gas mark 2 for 10-12mins -brown slightly more slowly (say with 8 minutes in the pan) and just rest the meat straight away. It's a good idea to check for doneness a few times by poking a knife in and taking the meat out as soon as the flesh goes opaque. Rest for 8-10mins. If SV-ing, put the rolled, stuffed and wrapped saddles, bound in cling film, in at 62 degrees for three hours, cool, chill promptly in ice water, and then brown in a hot pan for 5mins and rest 8-10mins to serve. Hope you have a nice Easter meal!

I wonder how sour sour mustard is? And how mustardy? I've never seen it before. Plantes Vertes, That "sour mustard" is not that sour (to me, anyway) and is also somewhat salty ["Harm Choy" actually means "salty vegetable" in Cantonese].¶ (I suppose one could call the soup I made "Syun Choy Tong" instead, heh.) Mustardy? Depends on what one considers "mustardy" and in any case it would be tempered by the pickling process anyway. I would consider it almost "gone". One does not use it straight out of the bag (or barrel), it is always soaked and rinsed. Some may do it briefly, some may do it for longer . The vegetable is a form of mustard, Brassica juncea, with the variety/subvariety typically used to make "Harm Choy" known as "Gai Choy" (or "Kai Choy") [芥菜 (the broader-leaved ones, not the spiky/narrow ones); Cantonese Yale: gaai3 choi3] in the fresh (unpickled) state. It can be used as a veggie in stir fries or in steamed dishes too. In the soup I made, one can use meat of one's choice, bone-on or not, but I usually use poultry or pork. Meatballs too. Some links for your info: http://www.recipies.50webs.com/Harm%20Choy.htm http://babeinthecitykl.blogspot.com/2008/04/harm-choy-tong-pickled-mustard-cabbage.html http://www.flickr.com/photos/babeinthecitykl/2415827388/ http://portfotolio.net/babeinthecitykl/album/72157625112465362 http://kuali.com/recipes/view.aspx?r=4289 http://www.flickr.com/photos/babeinthecitykl/2889696872/ http://ipohecho.com.my/v2/2012/10/01/fish-head-noodles/ http://www.noobcook.com/teochew-steamed-fish/ http://www.smokywok.com/2011/10/teoch... In the last two, "salted vegetables" is "harm choy". A couple selected posts here on eGullet where I've also used "Harm Choy": http://forums.egullet.org/topic/143989-lunch-whatd-ya-have-2012/page-2#entry1903429 http://forums.egullet.org/topic/144595-the-soup-topic-20072012/page-17#entry1901252 One person's way of making "Harm Choy": http://www.recipies.50webs.com/Harm%20Choy.htm Some other forms of Chinese "mustard greens" commonly grown: http://www.evergreenseeds.com/ormusgreen.html ¶ The Chinese characters on the package pictured are indeed for "Sour Vegetable": 酸菜 (Yale: syun1 choi3) Thanks a lot for this information - in fact I didn't even know that mustard was a brassica , so you've taught me quite a lot! I'll keep an eye out for the greens at our Chinese grocery. It sounds like they could perhaps be a little bit similar to sauerkraut, which I like a lot, so I'm keen to try them.

I wonder how sour sour mustard is? And how mustardy? I've never seen it before.

What beauties!

SobaAdict's fruit salad recipe from the post beneath yours looks like it could be a nice tasty answer to your fruit squid question from the cook-off

I thought I could update this thread with the name of Alain Passard and l'Arpège (three stars), Paris. The restaurant is famous for its potager and emphasis on vegetables. Sad to say, I've never been there

I've served squid with kiwi, passion fruit, pomelo and grapefruit. Passion fruit was the most interesting and delicious. I just squeezed it over very quickly grilled squid. Given the mention of rhubarb, I'm now wondering whether gooseberry would be going too far... Ah gooseberries. We've pushed this glorious berry aside for so many years. When my Grandmother made gooseberry pie in the 1960's it wasn't unusual. Use gooseberries today and people wonder what you're talking about--and I live in a part of the country where gooseberries flourish. I think a squid or baby octopus ceviche would be wonderful with grapefruit. Gooseberries and squid, I'm skeptical, they are one tart berry. Then again, it would be worth a shot. Could be a new discovery. Gooseberry and squid pie? With cream? I really think I'm on to something here!

I've served squid with kiwi, passion fruit, pomelo and grapefruit. Passion fruit was the most interesting and delicious. I just squeezed it over very quickly grilled squid. Green tomatoes are also a nice alternative to red. For vegetables, you could stew it with green peppers, potato, tomato, onion and garlic, or fry it with scallion and chillis, or prepare a cioppino (a seafood stew with tomato, fennel, leek, carrot, shallots, garlic, orange zest, saffron, olive oil and pernod and mixed seafood). You can also serve them with spinach sauteed with ginger, garlic, onion and and chilli, or simply with a spinach and orange salad. I think aubergine, white asparagus or broccolini could work as side dishes. Given the mention of rhubarb, I'm now wondering whether gooseberry would be going too far... or greengages?

Simple finger foods Home-made tea-smoked nuts are beautiful. I like to marinate olives at home as well; my favourites are a boscaiola preparation of pitted green Cerignola olives, oregano, sliced mushrooms and peppers, lemon juice and white wine vinegar in brine, or orange and lemon pieces with sliced garlic and tarragon for Alfonsos; cumin, turmeric, garlic, pearl onions and cornichons with Nicoises; garlic and basil with Bella di Cerignola.... Stromboli is more filling for a drinks party, or else polenta squares with rosemary. A vegetable terrine, sliced and served on crostini, is beautiful-looking and impressive, or else vegetables in a savoury jelly served in little mason jars. Gazpacho in shot glasses is refreshing during summer. Marinated red pepper, aubergine and courgette, layered, cut into circles with a biscuit cutter and secured with rosemary is simple to make. Pineapple dressed with a paste of peanuts, soy sauce, red chilllis, coriander and lemon and lime juice is very appetising. I also love white beans cooked with onion, olive oil and lemon juice for tartines, with parsley over the top. Borek can make a varied platter that is simple to prepare. Savoury sorbets are a nice novelty (basil, tomato, beetroot, carrot, horseradish...) And for the fishivores - oysters.

Prep and storage Lock and Lock boxes, well, they lock so your lunch can't escape You can take runny food and microwave it in the box. You can take frozen food with you in your lunchbox; either it will have defrosted by lunchtime or you can microwave it. Then it won't go bad. This includes soup, bread, stews, grains, juice and other drinks. If you want to take food that will perish over the morning, get a lunch-box-sized chiller bag and freeze your water or other drink for use as a cool-pack. Bento boxes have compartments which allow you to take portions of different foods or of condiments/dips/sauces/dressings and keep them separate. You can keep some stuff at the office if you have space; tea, salt and pepper, crackers, nuts, even oil and vinegar; your own crockery and cutlery. Eggs Boiled or in frittata or quiche, they are nutritious and portable. Power carbs Quinoa, barley, bulghur, wheatberries, polenta, wild rice, oats; they are all high in protein and carbs, so very nutritious; they can be prepared the night before or frozen, and you can eat them hot or cold depending on mood and facilities. Potatoes You can bake potatoes or sweet potatoes or boil some new potatoes, and they are very portable for packed lunch. Beans Excellent bean lunch foods are dahl, gigandes, fasoulosalata, a white bean puree, foul mudammas, hummus, foul, felafel, lobieh bi zait, black bean soup, chilli, southwestern salad. Salad I like a salad for lunch. Examples, (sticking with the bean theme): -Iceberg lettuce with steamed broccoli, tofu, avocado and radishes -Brown lentils, cooked mushrooms, cooked onions and cumin smooshed together with lemon juice and olive oil, over baby spinach -Cooked spinach with mint and haricot beans, with some lemon juice and olive oil, over lettuce -Cooked spinach with onions and Puy lentils and sliced tomatoes over raddiccio -Grated carrot with toasted pumpkin seeds, dressed with mustard and lemon juice, with hummus or some plain chick peas over bitter greens -Kidney beans, sweetcorn, avocado and tomato salsa over little gem lettuce -Chickpeas, beetroot and watercress -Green peas, broad beans and green beans with fresh mint and parsley, over rocket -Shredded apple, red cabbage and fennel with red wine vinegar, dill and toasted chopped walnuts -Huge bunch of parsley, huge bunch of mint with halved cherry tomatoes and cannelini beans Crudites and fruit They are convenient and clean to eat at your desk (not that I ever do that ); carrots, small cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and cauliflower florets, raw mushrooms or sections of courgette; any hand-sized fruit or berries. You can take dips to accompany them in your bento box.