WHERE THE WILD VEGETABLES ARE: Hippy vegetable cream

Is well known: The kids do not particularly like some types of vegetables. It will be by chance, but the most hated are the healthiest! To encourage them eating these vegetables, the best thing is present the meal in a playful and colorful way. So, if you are looking for a new way to get children to eat vegetables, try on this vegetable cream, full of healthy vitamins!

• 2 lb + 3 oz (1 kg) purple cabbage
• 1/2 lb (225 gr) yellow potatoes
• 3/4 lb (350 gr) fresh baby spinach
• 3/4 lb (350 gr) white onions
• 1/2 oz (15 gr) baby carrots
• 1/2 oz (15 gr) daikon 
• 1/4 oz (7 gr) fresh ginger 
• 12 spring onions
• 12 green beans
• 4 big broccoli florets
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp (15 gr)  parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 2,5 quart (2,5 lt) vegetable stock
• 8 tbsp (120 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• to taste white vinegar
• to taste balsamic vinegar
• to taste black pepper
• to taste table salt

First steps

Warm on the stove the vegetable stock. Clean and chop the onions coarsely then saute it in a 5-liter pan with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 crushed garlic cloves. In the meantime, chop the purple cabbage and the potatoes already peeled. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the cabbage and potatoes to the pan, stirring for a few minutes.

Now, add the hot stock just about covering the vegetables, then put the lid on, leaving a small opening with a wooden spoon. Let it simmer for 40 minutes, then drain it saving the cooking water. Now, whisk the mixture adding as much cooking water as required to get a thick, uniform cream. Finally we’ll add salt and let it cool until served.

Carrots and daikon baby salad

While the cabbage is cooking, cut the carrots and daikon into julienne and season them with grated ginger, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a splash of white wine vinegar. Put the salad marinate in the fridge until ready to serve.

Green beans and spring onions

Preheat the oven to 390° F, then wash the beans and onions. Peel the onions, keeping only the white part and 1/2 inch of the green, then steam them for 3 minutes (I suggest a bamboo steamer, convenient and inexpensive). Now, cut the onions in half, lengthwise, trim the green beans to 3-centimeter pieces, season them with salt and a little olive oil, then bake for 10 minutes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Last, grill until the vegetables are golden and wrinkled. Keep it warm until ready to serve.

Spinach nest and broccoli florets

While the green beans and onions are in the oven, steam the spinach for 1 minute, then season with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, fine salt and black pepper. Now, steam the broccoli florets for 5 minutes and season with with a drizzle of olive oil, fine salt and black pepper.

Compose the vegetable cream

Warm the cream of cabbage and take out 4 large bowls. Pour the vegetable cream into the plates without overdoing it: the depth of the cream should be at most 1 centimeter deep so as not to sink the vegetable decorations. For each plate, arrange a nest of spinach over which we’ll grate Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in small flakes. Now, make another nest with the daikon and carrot salad, and a third out of the beans and onions. Finally, put broccoli in the center of the plate.  Served the vegetable cream immediately.

Notes

The ideal temperature for each component of the dish are:

• Cream of cabbage: hot
• Broccoli and nest of green beans and onions: warm
• Nest of spinach and Parmigiano: room temperature
• Nest of carrots and daikon: cold

The contrast of flavors and different temperatures create variety and surprise in every bite, orchestrated by the taste of the cream of cabbage.

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JUMBO SHELLS PASTA WITH CREAM OF ASPARAGUS AND ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

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