Dressings

[Patchninja]

How do you dress your veggies to ring the changes? I'm talking about serving up things like green beans, cabbage, caulie etc? For example, sometimes, I fry some breadcrumbs with garlic and lemon zest and sprinkle over a steamed caulie. I need some fresh ideas.

[Nicos]

I tend to do things like sprinkle /roll lardons over the top , lightly sauteed onion/shallot/peppers/chilli/mushrooms ,mozzarella cheese, steamed peelings of carrot of various colours.
Green beans also look nice served with red kidney beans.

There is also a dark red/brown spice called Sumac which has a lemony flavour- and that is delish lightly sprinkled on top of most veg.

Cabbage lends itself to chestnuts crumbled into it with butter and white pepper.


Most home grown veg I find don't really need a dressing.
If it's all a bit 'dry' I'll often serve stewed/pureed apple as a veg which is something the Dutch tend to do.

Potatoes just neeeed handfuls of chopped chives

Some ideas maybe worth a try?

[Alison]

I tend to like my veggies as veggies rather than hidden away under other stuff so not really somebody to help here - sorry.

[Thelma Sanders]

I quite like fairly cool or cold veg with an ordinary French salad dressing, and grilled Radicchio is good with a garlic dressing.

[mothhawk]

I tend to like my veggies as veggies rather than hidden away under other stuff so not really somebody to help here - sorry.

Me too. If the veg taste good why hide the flavour with something else? And if they don't taste good, why grow them?

[ancee]

Nicos, sumac is the triangular-ish shaped berry thing off a stag horn tree! My Dad brings it back from Iran for me when he goes. One day I asked him what it was (it's lovely on rice with bbq kebabs) and he points to a tree in the garden across the road and said that's it! I now have a stag horn twig (about 15cms) high if that, one day I will have sumac too!
Patch ninja, we eat green beans softened with butter, and add a tin of tomatoes, salt and pepper, squirt of tomato purée and a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Really lovely

[Thelma Sanders]

Me too. If the veg taste good why hide the flavour with something else? And if they don't taste good, why grow them?

I'm not trying to hide flavour - trying to enhance it - like adding mint to your peas or rosemary and garlic on your lamb.

I certainly don't think that veg has to be plain to taste good - too boring

[Mr Bones]

I've just eaten soft goats cheese melted over boiled kale, served on top of bulgar wheat dressed with garlic, onion and olive oil. Absolutely delicious.

[Alison]

I certainly don't think that veg has to be plain to taste good - too boring

I prefer simple good flavours and find a lot of food (especially when you eat out) is over complicated. Most of my favourite dishes are accompanied by simply steamed vegetables (tonight was PSB) with the beautiful fresh taste shining through. Adding mint to peas (never heard of that one) would hide the pea taste and I love sweet taste of peas. Suppose we're all different but I could never find simple food boring.

[kris1960]

Hit upon a new way of eating the small sproutings when having cold meat and salad- blanched in boiling water and dressed with chopped anchovies, a bit of garlic, chilli to taste, a small amount of mayonnaise and some slivers of parmesan over the top. Ate with crusty bread, it was very nice. Might put in some capers next time.
So much psb, small and large, that it has to find a place in every type of meal. Lovely steamed with soft poached egg for breakfast- bacon doesn't hurt with it either.

Agree with earlier post- grilled radiccio is great as is little gem. grilled courgette with crushed pink peppercorns, thyme, lemon juice and olive oil is fabulous.

[Patchninja]

Me too. If the veg taste good why hide the flavour with something else? And if they don't taste good, why grow them?

You're missing the point!

[Patchninja]

I'm certainly NOT trying to hide the taste of veggies - love them. it's simply that I cook 2 meals a day and like to find ways of enhancing flavours - often a dressing can make you see a veggie in a different light. After all, you're not going to eat plain courgettes all summer, or are you?

[skeggijon]

Adding mint to peas (never heard of that one) would hide the pea taste and I love sweet taste of peas. Suppose we're all different but I could never find simple food boring.

Surprised you haven't heard of that. Adding mint to peas is probably one of the oldest accompaniments known to man

Veggies are fantastic lightly steamed as they are, but I wouldn't want to eat them the same way all the time. I love chicken, but would get bored if I cooked it the same way every time.

[Alison]

You're missing the point!

I don't think so, it's just a different way of doing things.

I'm certainly NOT trying to hide the taste of veggies - love them. it's simply that I cook 2 meals a day and like to find ways of enhancing flavours - often a dressing can make you see a veggie in a different light. After all, you're not going to eat plain courgettes all summer, or are you?

Most of my courgettes are eaten as simply sautéed, I've found that since I started growing my own I've obviously eaten more seasonally and therefore eat things for a much smaller length of time throughout the year and therefore don't really get tired of them but do look forward to the next crop - eyeing up the asparagus at the moment but will eat all of that lightly steamed

Veggies are fantastic lightly steamed as they are, but I wouldn't want to eat them the same way all the time. I love chicken, but would get bored if I cooked it the same way every time.

Ah but that's where people are different, I don't get bored but then again I don't cook the same thing every night. Last night was PSB, tonight cauli and I'm thinking cabbage tomorrow. Loads of variety.

[Patchninja]

It's all about enhancing the flavours and seeing things in a different light but it takes time and you've got to be passionate about cooking. I'm lucky as my kids are grown up so i have time to ponder the finer aspects of a cabbage leaf!!! lol