Just-Tender Boiled or Steamed Vegetables
Instructions:
This is the basic method for cooking just about any vegetable
at all. Boiling gives you a little more control; steaming
is faster. Both work just fine
Salt
1 to 2 pounds of the vegetable of your choice, peeled,
stemmed, seeded, and/or chopped as needed
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil,
butter, or any of the toppings ( Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice , Chopped fresh herbs , Grated citrus zest, Chopped nuts, Toasted bread crumbs)
MAKES: 4 servings
TIME: 10 to 30 minutes
- Rig a steamer or bring a pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add the vegetables as specified as follows and cook until either crisp-tender or tender.
- Drain, then serve, drizzled with lemon juice, oil, butter, or whatever you like. Or shock in ice or cold water, drain again, and set aside.
- For greens:
- Trim and wash the greens. If the leaves and stems are pliable and can be eaten raw—like spinach, arugula, or watercress—that’s a tender green. If the stems are as crisp as celery (over 1/8 inch or so) and the leaves a little tough—like bok choy, chard, kale, or collards—it’s best to separate the leaves from the stems and give the stems a little head start.
- Add the stems or the stems and leaves to the pot and cook until bright green and tender, from 3 minutes (for spinach) to 10 (for kale and collards). (If you held back the leaves, add them when the stems are just about tender.)
- For tender vegetables:
- This will work for broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, peas of any type, bok choy, corn, even eggplant (be careful not to overcook). Keep in mind that the smaller the pieces, the quicker they will cook. Cook until the vegetable is just tender, which will vary from about 3 minutes (peas) to 7 (broccoli florets) to 10 or 12 (broccoli stems, some green beans) and up to 25 minutes for a whole large head of cauliflower.
- For root vegetables or tubers:
- Not quite so simple; in many ways it’s best to follow individual recipes as given in this chapter, especially for potatoes and sweet potatoes. But as a general rule, this will work; use for beets, turnips, radishes, winter squash, and so on: Peel the vegetable or not, as you prefer; leave whole if possible to prevent waterlogging. Proceed with the recipe, but cook until the vegetable is quite tender and can be pierced easily with a thin-bladed knife, from 10 minutes (radishes, for example) to nearly an hour (larger potatoes).