Preparing Plant-based Foods Recipes by Carole Kotkin Vegetable Pavé with Lemon Thyme-Infused Vegetable Broth Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse Summer Squash Salad with Feta Summer Melons in Spiced White Wine

Vegetable Pavé with Lemon Thyme-Infused Vegetable Broth from "Charlie Trotter's Vegetables," Ten Speed Press This Mediterranean vegetable pavé can be served like a pasta-free lasagna. Or if you desire a more substantial dish, lasagna noodles can easily be added. In either case, the preparation is fairly straightforward and quite light. 2 tablespoons butter 1 Idaho potato Salt and pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 2 red bell peppers, roasted and cleaned 1 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise in 1/4"-thick slices 6 artichoke bottoms and stems, cooked and cut into thin slices 6 cups vegetable stock 4 fresh sprigs lemon thyme Line a 4"x4" baking pan with aluminum foil. Grease the foil with 1 tablespoon of butter. Using 1/3 of the potatoes, form a layer of slices with the potatoes slightly overlapping each other. Lightly season each layer with salt and pepper and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan. Cut the bell peppers into wide slices. Place a layer of the red bell pepper on top of the potato, followed by layers of yellow squash, artichokes, yellow bell pepper and zucchini. Repeat with another layer of potato and all of the vegetables. Finally, end with one last layer of potato. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375° for 2 hours with a weighted pan set on top of the dish. (This will keep it packed tightly during the cooking and cooling processes.) Meanwhile, place the vegetable stock in a medium saucepan and reduce to 4 cups. Add the lemon thyme and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain, reserving the thyme, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the pavé from the oven and allow it to cool in the refrigerator with the weighted pan on top. Once cool, remove from pan and cut into four 2" squares. Place the squares in a nonstick pan with the remaining tablespoon butter. Sauté over medium heat until both sides are golden brown. Place a piece of the pavé in the center of each bowl. Ladle some of the vegetable stock in each bowl. Garnish with the sprigs of lemon thyme. Serves 4 Wine recommendation: These vegetable flavors require the firmness and aromatic delicacy of a Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc. Back to Recipe List

Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse from Chef Keith Doherty, Michael's on East For the Saffron Broth: 8 cups vegetable stock 4 tablespoons thyme 4 tablespoons parsley 1 pinch saffron Hot pepper sauce 8 tablespoons olive oil Salt and pepper to taste For the Vegetables: 4 small artichokes, bottom and stem poached in salted lemon-water until tender 8 asparagus spears 16 pearl onions, poached 2 fennel bulbs, cut in quarters 16 garlic cloves, whole, poached for one minute 20 red tear-drop tomatoes 4 jumbo morel mushrooms 1 zucchini, diced into 1/2" cubes 4 slices of baguette (1" thick) rubbed with garlic and olive oil, toasted Combine ingredients for saffron broth, bring to a boil and set aside. Over medium heat, stew onions, fennel and garlic cloves in saffron broth until tender. Add tomatoes, morel mushrooms, zucchini, artichoke and asparagus to the broth and stew until tender. Place baguette in serving bowl, arrange vegetables and pour in broth. Garnish with chervil. Serve with Red Pepper Rouille. Serves 4 For the Red Pepper Rouille: 1 roasted red bell pepper 1/4 cup white bread – no crust 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 garlic cloves 1 cup olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Purée all ingredients except olive oil in blender. Gradually add olive oil to emulsify. Wine recommendation: This dish is hearty enough to stand up to a red wine such as a Pinot Noir or a Côtes du Rhône. Back to Recipe List

Summer Squash Salad with Feta from John Ash, "From the Earth to the Table," Penguin Books Anyone who has ever grown zucchini or yellow summer squash knows that you have to be creative to find ways to use all that even a small garden will produce. This Provençal-inspired dish is an excellent accompaniment to grilled seafood or may be served as a first-course salad. For the Salad: 3/4 pound zucchini, diced 1/2 pound yellow summer squash, diced 1/2 cup drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1/2 cup pitted and sliced Kalamata or Niçoise olives 1 red bell pepper, chopped 11/2 tablespoons chopped shallots 6 tablespoons olive oil For the Dressing: 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 3 ounces crumbled feta cheese Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serves 6 to 8 as a first course or side dish. Wine recommendation: A citrusy Fumé/Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect selection for this garden-fresh salad. Back to Recipe List

Summer Melons in Spiced White Wine from Joanne Weir, "Summer," Time-Life Books 2 cups late-harvest dessert wine such as Muscat or Sauternes 1 tablespoon honey 4 slices fresh ginger, each 1/4" thick 1/2 vanilla bean 5 pounds assorted summer melons such as cantaloupe, honeydew, casaba, Crenshaw In a saucepan, combine the wine, honey and ginger. Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise and scrape the seeds into the pan, then add the pod halves as well. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Discard the vanilla pods and ginger slices and let cool. Meanwhile, halve the melons. Scoop out the seeds and discard. Using a melon-baller, scoop out balls of melon flesh and place them in a large bowl. Pour the cooled, spiced wine over the melon, cover and chill for 1 hour. To serve, divide the melon evenly among chilled individual bowls, spooning some of the wine over each portion. Serves 6 Wine recommendation: Serve more of the wine you used to make the dish. Back to Recipe List Food Editor Carole Kotkin is a Miami-based writer, cooking instructor and consultant. She recently co-authored Mmmiami – Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. Wine News BuyLine Panelist Fred Tasker writes a weekly syndicated wine column for The Miami Herald.

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