Great Chefs Cook Vegan - Linda Long [23]
Croutons
1/2 loaf slightly stale, unsliced white bread
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
To make the Croutons: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the crust from the bread. With a serrated knife, cut bread into slices about 1/8-inch thick. Cut slices into 2-1/2 x 1/2-inch rectangles. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, brush with half the oil and sprinkle with a very thin layer of salt and pepper. Place at least 30 bread rectangles in a single layer on top of the parchment paper. Brush another piece of parchment paper with remaining oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and then place on top of the bread, oil side down.
Place another baking sheet of the same size on top to weigh down the bread pieces and prevent curling while baking. Bake for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp; remove and set aside. Note that the yield might be greater than needed for one recipe.
Chive Oil
1/2 bunch chives
2 tablespoons olive oil
To make the Chive Oil: Roughly chop chives and blend with oil on high until paste-like. Put the paste into a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Allow the mixture to boil for about 30 seconds while stirring frequently. The paste will start to separate and release its chlorophyll, causing the oil to turn bright green. Once the bubbles start to subside, remove pan from heat, strain immediately through a fine mesh sieve, and refrigerate. Be careful not to cook too long or the oil will turn brown and the solids will fry.
Garnish
1 cup baby arugula leaves
4 baby white turnips, very thinly sliced (preferably on a mandoline)
3 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
How to Plate: Boil about 2 cups water with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook turnip slices in boiling water for 10 seconds and then shock in ice water. Cool and then strain; set aside.
Brush a straight line of Beet Reduction down the center of six chilled rectangular plates. (Important to chill the plates for the beet reduction to adhere to them well.)
Place an even amount of Beet Salad around the reduction. Garnish each plate with baby arugula, thinly sliced turnip, 3 Croutons, 2 spoonfuls of Walnut Chutney, Chive Oil, and a sprinkling of fresh horseradish. Serve immediately.
Zucchini Boxes Provençal with Black Mosto Oil, Red Pickled Shallots, and Opal Basil
Serves 6
Zucchini Boxes
10 medium zucchini, washed and trimmed
1 tablespoon salt
4 plum tomatoes
1 large Spanish onion, diced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 sprigs thyme
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
To make the Zucchini Boxes: Using a vegetable slicer or a mandoline, cut zucchini lengthwise into at least 72 long, very thin rectangular slices that are about 1-1/2 inches wide. Use only the external portion and not the seeded portion. Trim the rest of the zucchini around the seeds. Discard the seeds and cut the remainder of zucchini into a small dice and reserve for stuffing.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Set a bowl of ice water to the side. Cook the sliced zucchini in the boiling water for about 30 seconds and then remove and place in the ice water. Remove from the ice water, pat dry, and set aside. Reserve the boiling water and the ice water.
Score the bottom of each plum tomato and remove the core with a small paring knife. Place the tomatoes in the boiling water. Cook for about 5 to 10 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and shock in the ice water. Remove from the water when chilled and peel with a small paring knife, pulling the skin from the scored bottom to the top. Cut the tomatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, reserving for garnish. Cut