Back in 07/27/22 I posted a recipe titled, Salade à la Crѐme. It’s just a basic cream sauce from French continental cuisine, and it’s normally served over Boston or Bibb lettuce. So, I thought, why not try it with zucchini, one of our favorite vegetables? Indeed, why not? Particularly now that summer is upon us and, let’s be honest, if you live on the east Coast or in the heartland the weather has been, well, awful. Some places have reach temps in triple digits. A nice salad is the recommendation in such circumstances. Especially a salad that’s easy to prepare, cool and soothing. So, here it is, a Nuyorican treat, Ensalada de Zucchini con Salsa de Crema, or Zucchini in a Cream Sauce since that’s just what it is. Want to impress family and friends then say it’s Zucchini in Salade à la Crème. Whatever.  In this one you can experiment with any other favorite vegetable beside zucchini.  It is a recipe of convenience.  And forget about heating up the stove. You most likely have all the ingredients you need in your fridge or cupboard. With a good loaf of bread and some chill white wine, or beer, it’s a dish tailor-made for a sulfurous day, or any day for that matter.

ENSALADA DE ZUCCHINI EN SALSA DE CREMA
(Zucchini in a Cream Sauce)

Ingredients:

3 small to medium zucchini
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
4 teaspoons wine vinegar
5 tablespoon heavy cream
3 tablespoons peanut oil

Instructions:

1. Wash zucchini under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Do not peel.
2.  Cut into thin round slices. I find that, for this, a simple handheld slice cutter works best than trying to cut individual slices with a kitchen knife. Use what suits best. Place zucchini in a salad plate, set aside.
3.  In a small bowl or cup, combine the pepper, salt, vinegar and cream. Beat with a whisk for 20 seconds. The mixture should be creamy and foamy.
4. Add the peanut oil and mix with a spoon to blend. Drizzle or pour overf the zucchini slices and serve.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

One of our favorite vegetarian meals is Tofu with Onions and Pimento (pimientos, in Spanish). By pimento we mean bell peppers. In this case, red bell peppers. But you can use green or yellow pimentos if desired. This is a simple and elegant dish that goes great with the usual rice or noodles, be it Chinese noodles, soba noodles, or regular pasta like spaghetti or linguini. You have a great choice here. Take advantage of it.

Note that, when cooking tofu (or bean curd), it has to be prepared for cooking. That is, all the excess moisture has to be removed.  This is done by wrapping tofu in sheets of paper towels; putting something heavy on top such as a frying pan, which you can weight down further with cans and jars. Press for 30 minutes, or more. The tofu will be about 2/3 its original thickness and up to 100 milligrams of water will have been removed, approximately ½ cup. Tofu is naturally packaged in water to maintain freshness, but this excess water can make the tofu delicate and cause it to crumble during cooking. Removing excess moisture from tofu, especially before cooking, is crucial for achieving a firmer, chewier texture, and allowing the tofu to crisp up and absorb flavors better. 

TOFU WITH ONIONS AND PIMENTO

Ingredients:

1 pound package extra firm tofu, prepared for cooking (see above)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, peeled and sliced thinly
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper (pimento), washed and sliced about ¾-inch thick
½ tablespoon corn starch
½ tablespoon soy sauce (or more, if desired)
¾ cup water or chicken broth

Instructions:

1. After bean curd has been prepared, cut into 1-inch squares.
2. In a large skillet, frypan or wok, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and transparent.  Stir in pimento. Cook for about 2 minutes and add tofu
3.  Mix corn starch, soy sauce and water or broth. Pour over tofu. Cook and stir until well heated and sauce is thickened.
   Yield: 4-6 servings.

“How can you eat any pudding if you don’t eat your beets?”
–=Pink Floyd, “The Wall.”

Beets is one of those vegetables you either love or hate. I’m in the former category. The beauty of beets is that you can doctor them up in many ways.  Want a Chinese version? Just add soy sauce. Want a classical French version? Just cook them in a basic whiter sauce. Or you can experiment and cook them in a mustard and sour cream sauce. As in the dish noted below. Even kids, who may hate beets, will like this one. Also, with this recipe you can pair it with whatever accompaniment you desire, be it rice, couscous or other grain. This time we paired the beets with kasha. These are toasted buckwheat groats, a naturally gluten-free grain that has a nutty flavor and is very popular in Eastern European and Jewish cuisines. So, in answer to Pink Floyd’s hit song, you can eat your pudding and have your beets too.

BEETS IN SOUR CREAM AND MUSTARD SAUCE

Ingredients:

1¼ to 1½ pounds fresh beets
Salt to taste
1 small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon mustard, preferably Dijon
2 tablespoons white vinegar
½ cup sour cream, or more to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Wash beets and place them in a large pot or kettle. Note: Do not cut off the root end of the beets.
2.  Add cold water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer until tender. This may take anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and age of the beets.
3.  Drain the beets and let cool. When cool, trim off and discard the ends of the beets. Peel the beets and cut them about a ¼-inch thick or slightly smaller.
4.  Place beet slices in a mixing bowl. Add onions. In a small bowl or large cup, combine the mustard, vinegar and sour cream, and blend well. Pour the mixture over the beets and toss well.
   Yield: 6 or more servings.