Vegetarian Solution : These Are a Few of Our Favorite Vegetables

There are some vegetarians who love nothing better than biting into a big, juicy nutburger, topped with sprouts and surrounded by a multi-grain bun. Some swear by “mock” meat--gluten dressed up to resemble duck or beef or chicken. But there are other vegetarians who are insulted by such attempts to create “meat,” or as some call it, faux food. These are vegetarians who say they love food-- real food. They search out the freshest vegetables and fruits, which they cook as simply as possible; the idea that good cooking starts with good ingredients is especially important to them. The recipes they use come not only from vegetarian cookbooks, but from books by great cooks. And often they don’t stick to recipes, but rather, they think like cooks . . . and especially, like good eaters. They use their imaginations--not to concoct meat substitutes, but to create meals that bring out the best, intrinsic flavors of food.

In this spirit, we’ve gone through what we consider some of the best cookbooks on the market--Diana Kennedy’s “The Art of Mexican Cooking,” Marcella Hazan’s “The Classic Italian Cookbook,” Paula Wolfert’s “The Cooking of Southwest France,” and others--to find recipes that are meatless, and, most important, delicious.

Too often when Mexican food is “lightened” or adapted for special diets it loses its soul. It becomes, well, Americanized. But in her book, “The Art of Mexican Cooking” (Bantam Books, 1989: $24.95), Diana Kennedy is interested only in food that is authentic . . . and delicious. Many of the recipes she explores happen to be meatless. And so, among the recipes for barbacoa and chorizo and pollo en mole, there are papas guisadas, red potatoes fried in safflower oil, sauteed with tomato salsa and topped with white cheese; there are hongos al vapor, wild mushrooms steamed with onion and garlic, serrano chiles and the herb, epazote. This, Kennedy suggests, can fill an omelet or top a quesadilla. Wrapped in a fresh tortilla, the mushrooms make a great taco.

One of Kennedy’s best meatless recipes is for uchepos, the fresh corn tamales from Michoacan. Served with green or red chile sauce, creme fraiche and slightly melted queso fresco, the tamales make a terrific main course. With the leftovers, Kennedy crumbles a couple of reheated tamales in a bowl with some soft butter and salsa verde. In Michoacan, this is called sopas. And, as Kennedy says, it’s best eaten alone--and with a spoon.

UCHEPOS (Michoacan Fresh Corn Tamales)

Fresh corn husks

5 cups fresh corn kernels

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoons natas, creme fraiche or thick cream

1 rounded teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 cups cooked Salsa de Jitomate, kept warm

1/2 pound queso fresco, cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick

1/2 cup creme fraiche

Place prepared steamer over low heat and line steamer rack with 20 fresh corn husks. Steam to soften husks, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Combine half corn kernels and milk in food processor. Process until corn has been reduced to textured pulp, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add remaining corn and continue processing until reduced to loose, finely textured puree, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add sugar, butter and cream and process briefly. Stir in salt.

Remove husks from steamer and shake to get rid of any surplus water. Place 1 heaped tablespoon corn mixture along center of each husk, starting just below cupped end, extending about 2 inches. Do not flatten. Fold sides of leaf over mixture, leaving room for expansion. Turn pointed end up on side opposite seam.

Place 1 layer filled husks on steamer rack. Cover and steam about 10 minutes or until mixture is just beginning to set.

Stir remaining corn mixture. Fill rest of corn husk, (always stir mixture before filling husks to prevent corn from separating from juice). Layer in steamer. Cover with extra corn leaves, terry-cloth towel and plastic sheet so that steam cannot escape. Weight down lid and steam about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, depending on how efficient steamer is.

Serve hot, about 2 to 3 uchepos per person, on warmed plate. Place 1/4 cup warmed sauce on side of each plate, 1 slice cheese in middle and top with 1 heaped tablespoon creme fraiche. Makes 20 tamales.

Salsa de Jitomate

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

4 serrano chiles, broiled

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 pound (about 2 large) tomatoes, broiled

1/3 cup finely chopped white onion

1/3 cup loosely packed, roughly chopped

Blend garlic, serrano chiles and sea salt to rough paste. Gradually add unpeeled tomatoes, grinding well after each addition. (Sauce will have somewhat rough texture and skin pieces will be evident.) Stir in onion and cilantro. Makes 2 cups.

Because it relies mostly on olive oil instead of butter, Italian food easily fits into a vegetarian--and even a vegan--lifestyle. A lot of Italian cooking is designed to bring out the natural flavors of food, and especially of the fresh vegetables on which so much of the cuisine is based. Ignore the course the Italians call i secondi, the meat and fish course, and you can eat quite well without feeling deprived.

One of the best books for cooking--Italian or otherwise--is Marcella Hazan’s “The Classic Italian Cookbook” (Knopf, 1976: $12.95). Her lessons on pesto and basic tomato sauces are invaluable--and meatless. She also includes a good section on vegetable salads (the mixed cooked vegetable salad is a good main-dish salad) and another on vegetables. Braised vegetables, artichokes and leeks, for instance, slicked with olive oil and lemon and sprinkled with salt and freshly ground pepper, turn up a lot.

One thing Hazan does not give is a vegetarian risotto recipe--traditionally, it’s made with chicken stock. But she does offer a recipe for rice with fresh basil and mozzarella cheese--it’s creamy like risotto and it’s extremely simple to make. As Hazan says, “It is another example of how, in Italian cooking, simple handling of the simplest ingredients results in a dish interesting in texture, lovely to look at, and, best of all, delicious. “

RICE WITH FRESH BASIL AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE

1 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 cups raw rice, preferably Italian Arborio rice

6 tablespoons butter, cut up

2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, coarsely shredded

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 3 quarts water to boil. Stir in salt and rice. Cover and boil gently over medium heat until rice is tender but al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain and transfer rice to warm serving bowl. Mix in butter and basil.

Add mozzarella, mix quickly and thoroughly. (Heat of rice unravels cheese, forming soft, fluffy skin of cheese and rice flecked with basil green.)

Add Parmesan cheese, stir 2 or 3 times, and serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Another good Italian idea, this one from Carol Field’s “Celebrating Italy” (William Morrow, 1990: $24.95). It’s meatless, cheeseless, easy to make and tastes wonderful.

BREAD SALAD PERFUMED WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR

4 stale country rolls, split, or 4 thick slices stale rustic country bread

4 tomatoes, very finely sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Soak rolls in water 15 minutes. Drain and squeeze dry. Tear into pieces into bowl. Add tomatoes, oregano, vinegar and olive oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 1 to 2 hours so flavors can mingle. Mix well and serve at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.

Paula Wolfert’s recipes in “The Cooking of South-West France,” (Harper & Row, 1988: $10.95) can be difficult to make, but the results are always delicious. It’s true, her recipes often call for salt pork or goose fat, but she also happens to include several wonderful vegetables recipes (unfortunately for vegans, most include cream or butter). You might try her red wine-cooked onions, which works well on grilled bread; her eggplant studded with garlic (no dairy); or pureed celery root with apples.

Her recipe for crisp potato cakes filled with creamed leeks is amazingly delicious. The leeks are cooked in the French Southwest style, until they’re silky and soft, not crunchy like string beans or broccoli. As Wolfert points out, this enables the creamed leeks to act as a sort of glue to hold each potato cake together.

STRAW POTATO CAKE STUFFED WITH BRAISED LEEKS

1 pound leeks (white part plus 1 inch of green), roots trimmed, split, washed well and dried

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1 3/4 to 2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled

1/4 cup clarified butter

Slice leeks by hand or in food processor fitted with medium slicing disk (makes 5 cups). Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium-size heavy-bottom saucepan. Add leeks and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Cover and cook, without browning, 20 minutes.

Stir in whipping cream and boil down to thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cool, uncovered. Can be prepared up to 1 day ahead to this point--cool, cover and refrigerate.

Fit food processor work bowl with julienne blade. Cut potatoes to fit feed tube and process potatoes into julienne, or cut potatoes by hand into very thin matchsticks (makes about 3 cups). Rinse potatoes in several changes of water then drain.

Spread potatoes out on kitchen towel to dry. Roll up towel and potatoes and squeeze tightly to extrude all excess water.

About 20 to 25 minutes before serving, heat clarified butter in large seasoned or non-stick skillet. Cover bottom with 1/2 of potatoes. Top with braised leeks, leaving 1-inch margin around edge. Cover with remaining potatoes and pat to form cake about 10 inches in diameter. Cover and cook 5 minutes over medium heat, shaking pan often to keep potatoes from sticking. Lift cover off to allow steam to escape. Wipe inside of cover dry. Cover and cook 5 minutes longer, shaking skillet to keep potatoes from sticking.

Carefully remove cover so that moisture on it does not drip back onto potatoes. Wipe cover dry. Tilt skillet and spoon off any excess butter. Reserve.

Cover skillet and invert so potatoes rest on lid. Return butter to skillet and heat. Slide cake back into skillet, golden-brown side up. Continue cooking, uncovered, over medium-low heat, 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned. Slide onto serving dish, sprinkle with salt, and serve at once. Make 6 servings.

Julia Child’s version of eggplant Parmigiano in “The Way to Cook” (Knopf, 1989: $50), is light and fresh-tasting. With just a green salad on the side, it makes a complete meal. And like most good, basic recipes, it’s versatile; Child suggests making miniature pizzas out of the eggplant slices.

EGGPLANT PARMIGIANO

2 large unpeeled eggplants, about 9x4 inches

Salt

Olive oil or vegetable oil

Dried herb mixture such as Provencal or Italian herb seasoning

2 cups Fresh Tomato Sauce

About 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cut eggplant lengthwise or crosswise into slices 3/8-inch thick. Salt lightly on each side and spread on paper towels. Let stand 20 minutes then pat dry in paper towels.

Arrange eggplant slices in 1 or 2 lightly oiled jellyroll pans. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs. Cover with foil and bake at 400 degrees 15 to 20 minutes, until just tender, but do not overcook.

Overlap eggplant slices in same pan, spreading each first with spoonful of Fresh Tomato Sauce, then with portion of grated cheese. Drizzle little oil on top. About 15 minutes before serving, bake in upper third level of 400-degree oven. Be careful not to overcook, contents should be just bubbling hot and exuding cheese should be browning lightly. Makes 20 to 24 slices, or 6 to 8 servings.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

1/2 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups fresh tomato pulp (or 1/2 fresh and 1/2 canned)

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 bay leaf

1 or 2 large cloves of garlic, pureed

Large dash saffron threads, optional

1/4 teaspoon dried orange zest, optional

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Cook onion in oil in 2-quart covered saucepan stirring occasionally, until tender but not brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cover and cook slowly several minutes. Stir in thyme, bay leaf, garlic, saffron and orange zest. Season lightly with salt. Simmer slowly, partially covered, 30 minutes, adding little juice from tomatoes if sauce becomes too thick. Adjust seasonings to taste. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Note: Sauce may be cooked in advance and refrigerated or frozen.

VARIATIONS: MINIATURE EGGPLANT PIZZAS

Spread prebaked eggplant slices with generous spoonful of tomato sauce and equally generous sprinkling of grated cheese. Dribble on droplets of olive oil. Shortly before serving, run under hot broiler for 1 minute or so to brown cheese lightly. Makes about 24 slices, 6 to 8 servings.

Ratatouille is a common vegetarian recipe, but too often what you end up with is vegetable mush. This version, from “The Feast of the Olive” by Maggie Blyth Klein (Avis Books, 1983: $9.95), is time-consuming because the vegetables are cooked separately. This method, as Blyth Klein says, “preserves the individual textures and flavors and is essential to its success.” It also uses a lot of dishes--you need a covered casserole, a skillet, and three bowls. The results are worth the trouble.

RATATOUILLE

1 medium eggplant, peeled

Salt

3 medium zucchini

Olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 sweet red peppers, seeded and cut into thin strips

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Slice eggplant into 1/2-inch-thick rounds, then slice into 2x1-inch rectangles. Toss with salt in bowl. Cut zucchini into 1/4-inch slices and place in another bowl. Toss with salt. Let vegetables sweat 1/2 hour, then dry eggplant and zucchini on towel.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in skillet. Add and saute eggplant until lightly browned, adding more olive oil if necessary. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to bowl and set aside.

Heat another 1/4 cup olive oil in same skillet. Add and saute zucchini until lightly browned, but not limp. Season to taste with pepper. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in same skillet. Add and saute onions, sweet red peppers and garlic until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to same skillet. Cook tomatoes until liquid they exude evaporates, stirring occasionally.

Layer half of eggplant slices in casserole. Add layer of half zucchini, half sweet red pepper and onion mixture, half cilantro then half tomatoes. Repeat layering with remaining ingredients.

Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover, and with bulb baster, baste stew with juices from bottom of casserole. Simmer, uncovered, until juices are absorbed, about 10 minutes more, being careful not to singe bottom. Serve hot, or cold as salad or antipasto. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

“The Silver Palate” series of cookbooks, by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins, is filled with lots of good vegetable ideas. Their latest book, “The New Basics Cookbook,” for instance, has a terrific recipe for marinated eggplants cooked in the microwave. But one of their most delicious vegetable recipes is in their “The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook” (Workman Publishing: $11.95), which came out in 1985. It’s a stuffed pepper recipe that has no ground meat--and no rice. Instead there are layers of creamy chevre, tomatoes, and fresh basil.

PEPPERS STUFFED WITH TOMATO, BASIL AND CHEVRE

4 large green peppers, tops removed and reserved, cored and seeded

1 (12-ounce) log soft mild goat cheese or chevre, cut into 5 equal pieces

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 bunch fresh basil, stems removed (at least 16 large leaves)

2 large ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup dry white wine

Cut very thin slice from bottom of each pepper, without puncturing, so it will stand straight. Press 1 piece goat cheese in bottom of each pepper. Sprinkle inside of each pepper with 1/2 teaspoon parsley and place 2 basil leaves in bottom.

Divide tomato slices evenly over basil. Sprinkle with pepper to taste and thyme. Layer 2 more basil leaves in each pepper and drizzle 1/2 teaspoon oil over basil in each pepper.

Crumble last piece goat cheese on top of peppers. Sprinkle with more black pepper and remaining parsley. Replace tops.

Rub outside of peppers with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and place in shallow baking dish just large enough to hold them. Pour wine into bottom of dish.

Bake at 350 degrees about 40 minutes or until tender. Serve immediately with roast lamb or veal or as light luncheon dish. Makes 4 servings.