5 to 6 large leeks seems like a lot of leeks!
I would probably use whatever I had on hand or 3 large leeks.
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I would get a few different vegetarian/vegetable cookbooks to get inspiration from different directions - Ottolenghi (Plenty, Plenty More) for creative, middle eastern inspired dishes, Madison (Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone) for a broad overview around many different vegetables with relative simple but tasty dishes, McFadden (Six Season) seasonal dishes around few ingredients and ATK (Bowls) with a concept of bowls which can easily varied with different vegetables
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Thatās interesting. Bok choy is one of my absolute favorite veggies (doesnāt hurt that my darling knows how to stir-fry it just right), and I would never say itās flavorless.
But I absolutely hate chard. Ruins everything it touches. I guess it goes to show that taste in veggies is 99.9% subjective - like most things, when it comes to food.
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Chard seems to be an āaquired tasteā, I couldnāt stand it as as kid, probably because it was always prepared with red wine vinegar and just too tart for my liking. The hubs showed me how his mom made it with a little butter and Spice Islands brand chicken bouillon powder and it was tolerable. I grow it now, in lots of different colors, and eat it regularly and have found it makes great a wrap for dolmas.
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I find it similar to beet greens in flavor, and Iām not a fan. I hate when itās added to spring mixes for salads. But I donāt like to eat raw spinach either, whereas I love it cooked.
When in doubt, make tacos. Here is an excellent cookbook that may help with thinking outside the box: Vegan Tacos
Wellā¦ I know I have a few of them written down someplace (including cucumber/pepper/tomato and a couple of carrot ones). Hereās one I did find:
1 pound carrots - boiled in water and orange juice until tender, slice and set aside.
Combine:
juice of one lemon
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 clove microplaned/crushed garlic
chopped parsley and salt (to taste)
Mix it all together and chill for several hours. Then serve with a sprinkle of EVOO.
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Roasted zucchini and mushroom bake. Like this recipe but subbing zucchini and crimini musbrooms.
Steamed tofu and greens with savory sauce. This recipe is from @linguafood: āmix together 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, 1 tsp of maggi sauce (available at any asian market: itās the funny shaped bottle with the yellow cap), 3-4 tbsps of oyster sauce, 2 tbsp of soy sauce, hot sauce (i use sriracha ā a good spritz if you likey da spicey), and a dash of rice vinegar. dice [I slice] a pack of soft tofu and zap in the microwave for 2-3 minutes. poor out any liquid the tofu might have sweat out. heat up 2 tbsp of cooking oil (i use peanut oil, but you can use any oil you like) until it smokes, then pour over nuked tofu. add aforementioned sauce. add chopped scallions, a heaping helping of cilantro, and toasted sesame seeds. inhale.ā You can easily add broccoli, bok choy, etc. to the steaming tofu.
Glazed Tangerine Carrots with Ricotta. Iām not a huge carrot fan, but this recipe from Melissa Clark changes my mind. Could easily be a main dish with the addition of a grain.
Broccoli-potato soup. I wing this. Sauteed onions and a little garlic in fat of choice (bacon grease is good). Add 1 tsp. ground coriander, a bay leaf, and a pinch of red pepper flake. Add scrubbed diced potatoes and just cover with chicken broth. Simmer 5 min. covered. Add an equal (or slightly greater) amount of chopped broccoli, season with salt and pepper, replace the lid, and cook until very tender. Remove the bay leaf and puree the soup (you might want to reserve a cup of broth to start to ensure it doesnāt turn out too thin). Serve topped with very sharp shredded cheddar and soft Italian bread or baguette.
Spicy Sichuan Okra Salad - this looks fabulous
Smashroom Sandwich - add golden-fried onions deglazed with baslamic vinegar; can replace the pesto with mayo
Tofu Buddha Bowl with addictive peanut sauce
Swiss Chard Fritters - My version:
4 c chard
1/2 c egg whites
3 cloves garlic
Small shallot
1 c. Cooked rice
1/4 onion
1 c(?) panko
1/2 c flour
1/2 peeled sweet potato, steamed
1/2 c Parm Regg
1/2-3/4 c sofrito/tomato sauce
Umami seasoning
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
Puree the chard, including the stems, in FP. Add egg white to help loosen. Strain into a bowl. Puree onions, shallot, and garlic with rice. Add to bowl. Shred cheese and sweet potato in FP and steam sweet potato. Mix everything together and chill. Scoop into hockey pucks using an ice cream scoop. Fry and keep warm in a hot oven. Yield ~16 fritters
Green Bean Avocado Salad - sounds weird but quite tasty
Hazelnut-Zucchini Salad with Parm Regg and Mint - never tire of this/something like it
Rustic steamed squash with spicy black bean sauce(Xiang cun nan gua) by Fuchsia Dunlop. I use butternut squash. So damn good. Let me know if youād like a PM with the recipe.
Buffalo Steamed Cauliflower - steam cauliflower florets until tender. Toss in Frankās Wing Sauce with a knob of butter. Serve with celery and carrots sticks and your favorite dip.
Iām with you on loving curries. Rather than repost recipes here, Iāll point you to Meera Sodhaās Made In India which is just fantastic and has tons of veg curries.
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Maybe not the high end you might be looking for, but, when I was in college, I wrestled. Anyone who knows wrestling knows the sportās black eye, weight cutting. So, I had to go from 177 to 158, our 158 got hurt, and I couldnāt beat our 167 national champ, so I had to make weight in 5 days. I just emptied the veg from the pantry into a stock pot and let her go, then added some bullion for salt. I boiled that stuff until blendable, and I actually loved it. I could drink it out of a cup. Had one solid cup a day and made weight.
If you live near a bigger city, you might want to visit a Sikh temple at lunch. The one by me always had a lunch for anybody for free. Great food, really, and no meat. Youāll end up throwing a $10 or $20 in the pot. Nice people and great food.
Iāve tried vegan tacos and they are really good. ChrisitnaM got it going on, though. Knows what to do with veg.
People diss zucchini; but it is one of my faves roasted.
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Boy, this sounds good.
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Perfect. Love carrots as the centerpiece.
Iāll say this, vegetables make me think about when Iām eating. I forage a lot and eat myself sick of asparagus in May and June, use ramps and fiddleheads for a ton of dishes in the early summer, pick dandelion greens, wild mushrooms. All these things come and go every year. Meat is just meatā¦always there. Veggies, if you play the timing game, really pay you back when consumed at their peak, or preserved shortly thereafter.
A decent small garden can really add to your food. Even an herb window planter. Nothing like whacking some cilantro or flat leaf off and chopping it up.
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