Fall Lightly

Fall food can sometimes seem heavy and full-bodied, but it can be anything but.

Chef Dean Zanella of 312 Chicago restaurant (in Chicago) makes an oil-poached halibut with fall vegetables that’s light but substantial. A medley of the best vegetables--fingerling potatoes, leeks, carrots, garlic, heirloom tomatoes and fennel--is a flavorful base for the fish. A garnish of quickly cooked basil adds the final flourish.

Start off with a silky carrot soup that can be served hot or cold. And for dessert, serve a rustic, open blueberry tart with a vanilla crust.

Mandel is author of “Celebrating the Midwestern Table” (Doubleday & Co., 1996).

Silky Carrot and Cucumber Soup

Active Work Time: 35 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour * Vegetarian

This soup freezes well.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 onions, sliced (about 2 cups)

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 pound carrots, thinly sliced

6 cups vegetable or low-sodium chicken broth

Few drops hot pepper sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream, optional

2 tablespoons snipped chives, for garnish

* Heat oil in 3-quart pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add onions, cucumbers and carrots. Cook, uncovered, until hot and fragrant, about 7 minutes.

* Add 5 cups broth. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, covered, until carrots are tender, about 30 minutes.

* Strain solids from liquid. Puree solids in batches in blender until smooth. Return to pot. Stir well. If soup is too thick, add remaining broth. Add hot pepper sauce, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. (Can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen up to 2 months.)

* Serve chilled or hot. Before serving, stir well, add more broth if needed, adjust seasonings and gently reheat (if serving hot). Ladle into soup dishes. Stir sour cream and swirl into soup, if using. Garnish with chives.

8 to 10 servings. Each of 10 servings: 64 calories; 648 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 2 grams fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 1.03 grams fiber.

Chef Dean Zanella’s Poached Halibut With Vegetables

Active Work Time: 30 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

The oil that’s drained from the vegetables can be reserved for salad dressings as well as other sauteed or roasted vegetables. Keep this oil refrigerated.

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

6 small boiling or fingerling potatoes, cut in half

1 large leek, white and light green parts, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 carrot, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)

1 fennel bulb, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 large clove garlic, thinly sliced

Coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper

12 to 24 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 cup fish or vegetable broth

4 (6-ounce) halibut filets, rinsed, blotted dry with paper towels

12 large basil leaves

* Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion and potatoes. Stir to separate. Cook until potatoes begin to soften and onion turns translucent, about 7 minutes. Add leek, carrot, fennel and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Strain vegetables over bowl, reserving oil.

* Put drained vegetables, tomatoes and broth in large saute pan with oven-proof handle. Season fish with salt and pepper. Place in single layer on top of vegetables. Drizzle fish with 1/4 cup reserved oil.

* Cook over medium heat until liquid starts to bubble, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cover.

* Bake at 400 degrees until fish is barely opaque, about 15 to 20 minutes.

* To serve, use slotted spoon to transfer fish and vegetables to 4 warm dinner plates. Place pan over medium heat. Add basil leaves to liquid. Cook until basil wilts, about 15 seconds. Spoon basil and some remaining liquid over fish, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

4 servings. Each serving: 823 calories; 336 mg sodium; 63 mg cholesterol; 73 grams fat; 21 grams carbohydrates; 22 grams protein; 1.12 grams fiber.