RECIPES: Local chef celebrates produce in ‘omnivore’s vegetable book’
In his new cookbook, “Vegetable Revelations: Inspiration for Produce-Forward Cooking” (Harper Wave, $50), James Beard Award-wining chef Steven Satterfield continues his exploration of vegetables that began in 2015 with his first cookbook, “Root to Leaf: A Southern Chef Cooks Through the Seasons” (Harper Wave, $36).
From the time he opened his acclaimed Atlanta restaurant, Miller Union, some 13 years ago, Satterfield has been obsessed with the freshest seasonal produce. And that’s perfectly displayed on the restaurant’s ever-changing dinner vegetable plate.
While “Root to Leaf” and “Vegetable Revelations” both espouse cooking with produce, Satterfield took different approaches when writing the respective cookbooks. With the former, “I think the approach there was as simple as possible,” Satterfield said. “Let’s just explore seasonality, get the home cook comfortable with shopping at a farmer’s market, and following some really easy methods and recipes.”
In contrast, “Vegetable Revelations,” a project that Satterfield began in the early days of the pandemic, is about looking at the world as a bigger place, Satterfield noted.
“We live in a very multicultural city, so what I took a snapshot of was the main ways vegetables could be explored with a global pantry,” he said. “To me, the spirit of the book is about challenging yourself a little bit, shaking up your routine, and making some things you don’t normally make.”
The cover of “Vegetable Revelations” evokes Salvador Dali, mainly because the surrealistic still life features meat and seafood hanging above the produce. Although all of the recipes in the cookbook are vegetable-forward, meat and fish occasionally make an appearance.
“I liked the idea of that, because to me this is an omnivore’s vegetable book,” Satterfield said. “But it could be interpreted in so many different ways. If you’re a vegan, there are plenty of options. If you’re a meat-eater who wants to get more produce into your diet, it’s a great solution.”
The headnotes to the recipes “explore the feelings” of each dish, Satterfield allowed. “They might conjure a hot sunny summer day, or a walk through the woods.”
Satterfield puts an emphasis on using every part of the vegetable, and not wasting any of the flavorful bits. He offers ideas for transforming asparagus bottoms into a lovely spring soup and using beet roots with their green tops for a stir-fry.
“That was a big thing in “Root to Leaf,” and that’s a big thing in my life’s work, and a big thing at the restaurant,” he said.
“‘Vegetable Revelations’ is about rediscovering the joy of cooking with vegetables. The triumph is that we came up with a beautiful book that still celebrates whole vegetable cooking — and there’s still so much more to explore.”
RECIPES
These recipes from James Beard Foundation Award-winning chef Steven Satterfield offer ways to cook a wide range of vegetables, with a variety dishes for each season. Arranged by both botanical families and culinary categories, the recipes are truly “Vegetable Revelations.”
Gingered Carrot Bisque
“You know those carrots that look like they were maybe forgotten in the field and got really big? That’s the kind I like to use here,” writes Steven Satterfield about this bisque recipe. “They have an earthy sweetness that gives body and depth to this soup laced with hints of ginger, lime, star anise and clove.” The tangy cultured dairy garnish adds a nice contrast to the mellow spices.
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, tops trimmed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño or serrano chile, sliced
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 whole clove
- 1 whole star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 7 cups vegetable stock or roasted chicken stock, store-bought is fine, plus more as needed
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus zest of 1 small lime
- 1 to 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup plain kefir, or plain yogurt (not Greek) thinned with milk to a pourable consistency
- Scrub the carrots with a vegetable brush under running water, then dry them with a kitchen towel. Peel the carrots only if their skins are too rough or dirty. Cut them crosswise into thick slices.
- In a 6-quart Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, chile, and salt. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the carrots, clove, star anise and pepper, and cook 5 minutes more, stirring often. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the carrots are very tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Puree the soup in a blender in two batches until velvety smooth. If it is too thick, thin it with a little more stock or water. Add 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon honey.
- Taste for seasoning, and add more lime juice, honey, or salt as needed. The flavor should be a little sweet, a little tangy, and fragrant from the spices and aromatics. Serve in warm bowls topped with a drizzle of kefir and sprinkle of lime zest.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 6: 163 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 3 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 9 grams total sugars, 4 grams fiber, 9 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 23 milligrams cholesterol, 1,443 milligrams sodium.Recipes from “Vegetable Revelations.” Copyright 2023 by Steven Satterfield. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.
Fava Bean Primavera With Spring Hazelnut-Herb Pesto
Fava beans require shucking and shelling, but the extra work is worth the effort. Chef Steven Satterfield calls the combination of sweet favas, al dente pasta and mixed-herb pesto “spring eating at its best.”
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 2 pounds fava bean pods
- 12 ounces tubular dried pasta, such as penne, ziti, or rigatoni
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch broccoli raab or broccolini, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 recipe Spring Hazelnut-Herb Pesto (follows)
- 1/2 lemon
- Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for garnish
- Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot over high heat and add the salt. Ready a large bowl of ice water.
- Hold a fava bean pod in your hand with the stem end facing up. Snap off the tip toward one of the seams on either side of the bean and pull the string down the length of the bean. Pry open the pod at the seam to expose the beans. Collect the beans in a bowl and discard the husks. Repeat to shuck all of the beans from the pods.
- Place the fava beans in the boiling water and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the water just reaches a rolling boil again. Use a slotted spoon to remove the beans from the water and drop them into the bowl of ice water to cool. Keep the pot of water on the stove for cooking the pasta.
- When the fava beans are cooled, one at a time, tear the outer light green waxy shell of each bean and pinch out the bright green bean inside, discarding the shells.
- Return the pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander.
- In a wide skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it shimmers. Add the broccoli raab and cook, stirring often, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the fava beans, cooked pasta, and enough pesto to coat the noodles and vegetables liberally (you may not need all the sauce, so save any extra for another use). Add just enough of the reserved cooking water to create a sauce that clings nicely to the noodles and vegetables. Finish with a squeeze of juice from the lemon half. Toss well and taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking. Tip the pasta onto a serving platter and shower with grated Pecorino.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, without Spring Hazelnut-Herb Pesto: 588 calories (percent of calories from fat, 15), 30 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 24 grams total sugars, 21 grams fiber, 10 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 385 milligrams sodium.Spring Hazelnut-Herb Pesto
- 1 cup mixed sweet herbs, such as parsley, chervil, dill, fennel fronds or tarragon
- 1 cup sliced spring alliums, such as green garlic, green onions or ramps
- 4 ounces freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 3/4 cup roasted hazelnuts
- 2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- In a food processor, blitz the herbs, alliums, Pecorino, hazelnuts and salt until finely minced. With the motor on, slowly drizzle in the oil through the chute until a rough-textured pesto is achieved. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per 2-tablespoon serving: 189 calories (percent of calories from fat, 86), 4 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 19 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 7 milligrams cholesterol, 262 milligrams sodium.
Ginger-Pecan Zucchini Crisp
“Using summer squash in baking should go far beyond zucchini bread,” says Satterfield, as he experiments with treating zucchini “as the fruit that it is.” Taking classic apple crisp as his cue, ginger and pecans add zing and crunch to the streusel topping.
- 3 pounds zucchini
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup chopped raw pecans
- 1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- Ice cream for serving
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the lower third.
- Peel the zucchini and cut it into 1-inch chunks. In a large bowl, toss the zucchini with the granulated sugar, vinegar, lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour with the oats, pecans, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, pepper and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the oat mixture to form pea-size clumps. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the zucchini mixture to a mesh strainer set over a medium saucepan. Press firmly on the squash to release as much liquid as possible. Return the squash to the bowl and set aside. In the saucepan over medium heat, bring the strained liquid to a lively simmer. Cook until it is reduced by about half, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir the syrup and fresh ginger into the zucchini. Add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and toss well to coat. Transfer the zucchini mixture to a 2-quart baking dish, scraping the bottom of the bowl, and spread it in an even layer. Disperse the oat mixture over the top in clumpy bits. Bake until the topping is golden brown and the filling is bubbly, 45 to 55 minutes. Serve warm, topped with ice cream.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, based on 6: 559 calories (percent of calories from fat, 46), 9 grams protein, 70 grams carbohydrates, 41 grams total sugars, 6 grams fiber, 30 grams total fat (11 grams saturated), 40 milligrams cholesterol, 237 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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