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Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the broccoli just before serving.

Sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese or bleu cheese over the hot broccoli just before serving.

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deeply roasted cauliflower

Makes 3 generous servings

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that is good anywhere and everywhere along the textural spectrum—from raw to mush (as in, boiled to oblivion and mashed with butter, salt, and pepper, mashed-potato-style). This high-temperature treatment allows it to be a bit of both—very well cooked (to the point of singed, but in a good way) and utterly tender, but also crisp and crunchy.

This recipe is vegan.

1 tablespoon olive oil (possibly more)

1 large cauliflower, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with foil, and drizzle it with the olive oil.

2. Arrange the cauliflower pieces on the tray and shake them into a single layer. Put the tray in the oven and roast the cauliflower for 10 minutes.

3. Shake the tray and/or use tongs to redistribute the cauliflower so that more surfaces can come into contact with the hot oil. (This will crisp everything up nicely.) Roast for another 5 minutes, or until a taste test tells you the cauliflower is cooked to your liking. (It will continue to cook a bit more after it comes out of the oven.)

4. Remove the tray from the oven, and let the cauliflower cool for about 10 minutes on the tray. Season with the salt, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

GET CREATIVE

Spice mixes are really nice on roasted cauliflower. Try sprinkling on a bit of za’atar (Chapter 5: Burgers) about halfway through the roasting process. Or try a store-bought spice blend, such as Cajun blackening spices or curry powder.

Season with a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Consider leaving out the salt, or tasting the cauliflower before adding any. You might be surprised at how good it tastes unsalted. That said, it’s also fun to garnish this with a very light sprinkling of coarse, crunchy salt.

Crumble some feta, goat cheese, or bleu cheese over the hot cauliflower after you take it out of the oven, and let it melt to form a cheese topping.

Sprinkle some toasted breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas) over the cauliflower after it comes out of the oven.

To make a gratin, transfer the cooked cauliflower to a baking dish, top with toasted breadcrumbs (see Chapter 3: Pastas) and shredded jack or Cheddar cheese, and put the pan under the broiler briefly to melt the cheese.

Include a thickly sliced red onion or a thickly sliced carrot on the baking tray and roast it along with the cauliflower.

Try this same process using broccoli instead of all or some of the cauliflower.

Roasted cauliflower will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator, and will respond beautifully to all sorts of sauces, glazes, and salad dressings. You can also just cut it small and throw it into a green salad.

seriously good green beans amandine

Makes 4 to 5 servings

The classic preparation, only better. The double cooking process involves blanching the beans first, and then coating them in a warm mixture of toasted almonds and garlic-and-butter-infused olive oil. You will want to make this for special occasions. You may also want to make it every night.

Make this vegan by omitting the butter. (You could increase the olive oil.)

Salt for the cooking water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons butter

¾ cup chopped almonds

1 teaspoon minced garlic (1 good-sized clove)

1½ pounds green beans, stem ends trimmed

¼ teaspoon salt

1. Put a large pot of cold water to boil over high heat, and add a big pinch of salt. Place a large colander in the sink.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. When the oil has become warm (after about 3 minutes), add the butter and swirl to combine. Turn the heat down