Seasonal veggies provide savory summer/autumn fare

Late-arriving veggies need only a little special attention to make them extra- special. Cauli-flower, leeks, onions, bell peppers and more welcome sauces, sautéing, and/or spices for delightful dining and meal experience. Enjoy!

Curried

Cauliflower

(Serves 4-6)

2 pounds cauliflower (about 1 head) cut into 1-inch florets

½ cup red bell pepper, cut into thin strips 2-3 inches long

1 teaspoon EACH olive oil and butter

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley

Place a pierced metal steamer in a saucepan of salted, boiling water; add cauliflower florets, cover and steam until crisp-tender, 4-5 minutes. Drain into colander.

While cauliflower cooks, sauté bell pepper pieces and minced garlic in the olive oil/butter, stirring, until barely tender, 2-3 minutes. In serving bowl, stir together lemon juice, parsley, garlic and bell pepper; pour in pepper/garlic mixture along with cooking oil. Add hot cauliflower, toss gently to incorporate well. Serve.

My favorite leek recipe of all time is this elegant quiche — the perfect accompaniment for most any entrée. Please use the best of ingredients for the best quality.

Leek Quiche

1 9-9½ inch pastry shell

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup water

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups leeks (white and inner pale green parts), sliced

3 eggs

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Scant ½ tsp. nutmeg

¼ tsp. black pepper

2 ounces Swiss cheese, grated

2 wedges processed Gruyere cheese*

In a heavy skillet, melt the butter; add the water, salt and leeks and stir well, trying not to break up the leek discs. Cover, lower heat and cook over medium heat until pan juices are almost completely evaporated. Lower heat and cook until leeks are soft and juices are minimal. Set pan aside. Preheat oven to 375.

Lightly beat eggs with a wire whisk; add cream and seasonings and blend until smooth. Gently stir in the leeks and half the grated Swiss cheese. Set pastry shell on a cookie sheet and carefully pour in the cheese-custard mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Swiss cheese. Cut each wedge of Gruyere into 4 slices and arrange in arrowhead pattern on top of the quiche. Place sheet with pan in center of oven and bake for 30 minutes or until top is puffed up and browned and knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and carefully slide onto a wire rack for 10 minutes to let custard set. Garnish with minced parsley or cilantro, if desired. Serve hot.

* I generally forego the Gruyere, simply sprinkling parsley or cilantro over top before serving.

Onions, often overlooked as a main vegetable, are one of the most versatile when cooked, which sweetens and mellows them, and accept a variety of herb/spice seasonings. Slice (as in our photo) or bake them — as in the following recipe. Walla Walla Sweets are best but large yellow or Sweet Spanish onions will do very nicely as well.

Walla Walla Sweets

w/Cheesy Lentils

(Serves 6)

6 Walla Walla Sweets

Peel onions and cook in boiling water to cover for 10 minutes. Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cut off ends leaving bottom flat but not thin. Scoop out centers of each with a teaspoon, leaving a 2-layer-thick shell all around. Chop scooped portion and use for filling recipe.

Lentil Filling:

1 cup dried lentils*

2 cups scooped chopped onions

4 cups water

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro or parsley

½ cup drained diced canned tomatoes, mashed with fork

½ cup shredded mild white cheese, Jack or Mozzarella

½ cup ricotta or small curd cottage cheese

In medium saucepan, combine lentils, 1 cup onion and the water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until lentils are soft and cooked through. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In medium saucepan, sauté the remaining 1 cup scooped onions and the garlic in butter until onion is soft and translucent. Add cumin, ginger and cilantro and continue to sauté 3 minutes longer. Add tomato pulp and reserved lentils, stirring to blend. Stir in the cheeses; remove from heat. Fill onion shells with mixture. Place in baking dish and bake for 45 minutes, or until filling is soft and well blended but onion shells still retain their shape.

* You may use other favorite grains from couscous to bulgar to rice. Allow for cooking-time differences if you do this.

Soon mushrooms will be coming on, and for a short period we can all enjoy Mother Nature’s finest gifts — as this one!

Mushroom Fettuccini

2 tablespoons virgin olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups sliced mushrooms, stemmed

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 ½ cups half-and –half

½ cup vegetable stock

¼ cup Sherry (optional)

½ teaspoon EACH salt, white pepper, nutmeg

12 ounces fresh-cooked fettuccini (cook while making sauce)

Garnish: Chopped parsley, thyme or tarragon

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy skillet; add minced garlic and sauté briefly, then mushrooms, stirring and turning for 2 minutes or so until covered with oil and beginning to heat through. With a spatula, immediately remove mushrooms from pan and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm. Add butter to the heated pan, then the flour, stirring with a fork or gravy whisk until blended. Remove from heat and stir in cream and stock. Return to stove and bring to a boil while stirring continuously. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, stirring until well blended, then stir in mushrooms. Remove from heat. Arrange cooked pasta on a large warm platter, top with mushroom mixture and garnish with herb of choice.

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.