E2 EZ EE THE WASHINGTON POST.WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7 , 2019
leave off the feta. If it’s just too
hot for you to imagine turning
on the oven, even for a short 15
minutes, skip roasting the
chickpeas. They won’t mind —
and neither, I’m sure, would the
Pollans. They’re flexible.
[email protected]and sitting on a bed of endive
leaves underneath a layer of
roasted chickpeas and feta. It’s
yet another of the bright and
light salads I can’t stop making
(or writing about) this time of
year. And it’s simply gorgeous
on a platter.
If you’re vegan, feel free tochange its balance.”
I’m a vegetarian, but I’m not a
purist, and I support any ideas
that help carnivores reduce
their meat consumption. That
said, the recipe of theirs I tried
— and love — is vegetarian
through and through: chopped
vegetables, tossed with herbsAnybody who’s
read much of
anything about
food over the past
few years has
surely heard the
maxim “Eat food,
not too much,
mostly plants.”
Coined by
Michael Pollan,
author of “The Omnivore’s
Dilemma” and other books
influential to the sustainable-
food movement, the phrase
suggests a reasonable path:
Avoid processed food, don’t
overeat, and put produce at the
center of the plate.
His mother and sisters’ new
cookbook turns that advice into
more than 100 recipes. But in
the foreword, Pollan says the
“mostly” in his signature phrase
got people riled up. “Carnivores
were upset I had dissed their
favorite food by failing to even
mention it, while vegans and
vegetarians were incensed that
by qualifying plants with
‘mostly’ I was being mealy-
mouthed or, well, chicken: why
not only plants? they insisted.”
Pollan held out, and “Mostly
Plants” makes the case. As
authors Tracy, Dana, Lori and
Corky Pollan put it in their
introduction, “We believe that
the key to eating well, both for
our own health and that of the
environment, is not to overturn
the dinner table, but simply toCooking eggplant
in this primal way
— putting the
uncut vegetable
directly on the
grill grates —
always excites me.
It’s not just the
fun of the cooking
itself — watching
the flame
gradually morph the firm, shiny
eggplant, softening and charring
it to the point of collapse — it’s
the thrill of the smoky flavor that
develops as a result. That flavor
is a defining element of many
Mediterranean eggplant salads,
including those typical of
Turkish cuisine, which inspired
this recipe. Once the eggplant is
cooked (either on the grill or
directly on the grates of a gas
stove) and cooled, the flesh
separates easily from the
blackened skin. (Note that the
cooking time can vary
considerably depending on the
density and variety of the
vegetable. You know it’s done
when it has started bubbling and
has collapsed.)
When chopped, the eggplant
loses most of its shape, leaving a
silky, somewhat creamy, smoky
base for a summery salad. Here it
is seasoned with a little garlic
and tossed with chopped tomato,
bell pepper, red onion, parsley,
lemon and olive oil for a fresh
but sumptuous side, or as part of
a mezze spread.
[email protected]Kr ieger is a registered dietitian,
nutritionist and author who hosts
public television’s “Ellie’s Real Good
Food.” She blogs and offers a weekly
newsletter at http://www.elliekrieger.com.qua rtet of vegetables to become
tender, their juices mingling
with fresh thyme, cumin and
spiky ground peppers. A drizzle
of honey accentuates that
roasted sweetness and plays
against the spices. The flavor’s
on the mild side, but easily
enhanced with your favorite hot
sauce.
Here’s what this versatile
jumble can do for you: It can be
spooned atop a bed of quinoa or
freekeh. It can fill tacos and
enchiladas. It can cozy up next
to an omelet or a grilled piece of
fish or chicken. And leftovers
can grace a lunch bowl.
[email protected]When I fail to
dispatch farmers
market-fresh
corn, potatoes,
onions and
tomatoes in a
timely fashion, I
still have a way to
coax their
maximum
sweetness and
flavor: simple
oven roasting.
We tend to avoid that kind of
indoor heat when it feels like
the sidewalks are set at 425. But
the blessings of AC, powerful
fans and pitchers of chilled iced
tea will see most of us through
the time it takes for this recipe’s
Before summer produce
goes bad, make
something really good
Crunchy ‘mostly plants’ salad is Pollan-approved
PHOTOS BY STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG FOR THE WASHINGTON POST;
FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTSTACY ZARIN GOLDBERG FOR THE WASHINGTON POST; FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POSTMediterranean Crunch Salad
4 to 6 servings, Healthy
Adapted from “Mostly Plants,” by Tracy, Dana, Lori and Corky Pollan
(Harper Wave, 2019).Ingredients
lOne 15-ounce can no-salt-
added chickpeas, drained,
rinsed and patted dry
l3 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons
extra-virgin olive oil
l^1 / 2 teaspoon kosher salt, or
more as needed
l^1 / 4 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper, or more as
needed
lOne 12-ounce tomato, hulled
and cut into^1 / 2 -inch dice (2
cups)
l^1 / 2 large English cucumber,
peeled and cut into^1 / 2 -inch dice
(seedless; 1^1 / 2 cups)
l1 small (4-ounce) red bell
pepper, stemmed, seeded and
cut into^1 / 2 -inch dice (^1 / 2 cup)
l1 small (4-ounce) yellow or
orange bell pepper, stemmed,
seeded and cut into^1 / 2 -inchdice (^1 / 2 cup)
l^1 / 4 small red onion, cut into(^1) / 2 -inch dice ( (^1) / 4 cup)
l^1 / 4 cup finely chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
l2 tablespoons finely chopped
fresh mint, plus whole leaves
for garnish
l2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
l2 Belgian endives (root ends
trimmed), leaves separated
l4 ounces (1 cup) crumbled
high-quality feta cheese
Steps
lPreheat the oven to 425 degrees.
lSpread the chickpeas on a
rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle
with 2 teaspoons of the oil,
season with^1 / 4 teaspoon of the
salt and^1 / 8 teaspoon of the
pepper, and toss to coat. Roast
for 15 minutes, stirring once
halfway through, until the
chickpeas have darkened slight-
ly. Transfer to a plate to cool to
room temperature.
lWhile the chickpeas are roast-
ing, combine the tomato, cu-
cumber, bell peppers, red on-
ion, parsley and chopped mint
in a mixing bowl. Drizzle in the
remaining 3 tablespoons of oil
and all the vinegar, along with
the remaining^1 / 4 teaspoon of
salt and^1 / 8 teaspoon of pepper.
Gently toss to incorporate.
Ta ste, and season with more salt
and/or pepper, as needed.
lLine a serving platter with the
endive leaves. Spoon the
chopped vegetable mixture over
them. Scatter the roasted chick-
peas and the feta on top, then
garnish with mint leaves.
Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 250
calories, 10 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates,
14 g fat, 4 g saturated fat, 15 mg
cholesterol, 330 mg sodium, 10 g dietary
fiber, 5 g sugar
Recipe tested by Joe Yonan; email questions
to [email protected]
Corn and Vegetable Bake
4 to 6 servings, Healthy
Adapted from “Corn Lovers Cookbook,” edited by Margaret M.
Barrett (Golden West Cookbooks, 1999).
Ingredients
l1 pound plum/Roma tomatoes
l2 medium yellow onions
l12 ounces very small Dutch/
Yukon Gold potatoes (none
larger than 2 inches; see
NOTE)
l3 cups fresh or frozen sweet
corn kernels (from 3 or 4
shucked ears)
l 21 / 2 teaspoons ground cumin
l1 teaspoon kosher salt, or more
as needed
l^1 / 2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
l^1 / 4 to^1 / 2 teaspoon ground
cayenne pepper or Spanish
smoked paprika (may
substitute sweet paprika for
less heat)
l4 or 5 stems fresh thyme
l^1 / 4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
l2 tablespoons honey,
preferably spicy, for serving
(may substitute agave nectar)
Steps
lPreheat the oven to 450 degrees.
lCut the tomatoes lengthwise
into quarters and place in a
large roasting pan. Cut the on-
ions into thin wedges. Scrub the
potatoes well; cut them into
quarters. Add those to the pan,
along with the corn. Season
with the cumin, salt, black pep-
per and cayenne pepper or
smoked paprika (to taste), then
toss to coat evenly.
lPluck enough leaves from the
thyme stems to yield 1^1 / 2 tea-
spoons. Scatter them over the
jumble of vegetables, then driz-
zle the oil evenly over the mix
and toss to coat.
lCover tightly with aluminum
foil; roast (middle rack) for 30
minutes, until the vegetables
are tender, stirring them once
or twice. Uncover and drizzle
with the honey; transfer to the
top rack for the last 8 minutes of
oven time.
lTa ste, and season with more
salt, as needed. Serve warm, or
at room temperature.
lNOTE: To make sure the pota-
toes will be tender, you might
want to first par-cook them in
the microwave on HIGH for 3
minutes, before adding them to
the vegetable mix in the roast-
ing pan.
Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 250
calories, 5 g protein, 37 g carbohydrates, 11
g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol,
210 mg sodium, 4 g dietary fiber, 14 g sugar
Recipe tested by Bonnie S. Benwick; email
questions to [email protected]
Bonnie
Benwick
DINNER IN
25 MINUTES
Joe Yonan
WEEKNIGHT
VEGETARIAN
Turkish-Style Grilled
Eggplant Salad
4 to 6 servings (makes about
3 cups), Healthy
From nutritionist and cook-
book author Ellie Krieger.
Ingredients
l2 medium globe eggplants
(about 14 o unces each)
l1 clove g arlic, minced
l^1 / 2 t easpoon kosher salt, or more
as needed
l1 large ripe tomato, s eeded a nd
chopped
l1 red bell pepper, seeded and
chopped
l^1 / 3 c up chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley leaves (from 1 medium
bunch parsley)
l^1 / 4 m edium red o nion, chopped
(^1 / 4 c up)
l2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice,
or more as needed
l1 tablespoon e xtra-virgin olive
oil
l^1 / 8 t easpoon f reshly g round
black pepper, or more as needed
Steps
lPreheat a grill on medium-high
heat; lightly oil the grates. Place
the whole eggplants on the grill
and cook, turning them several
times with tongs, until the skin
is charred and blistered all
around, the eggplants have col-
lapsed, and their juices begin to
bubble. D epending on the densi-
ty of your eggplants, this can
take between 15 and 50 minutes.
(If using the stove, place a piece
of foil around the burner, place
the eggplants directly on the
grates of the burner over medi-
um-high heat and cook as direct-
ed above.)
lTransfer the eggplants to a col-
ander set over a bowl to drain for
about 15 minutes, until they are
cool e nough to handle.
lWhile the eggplants cool, place
the minced garlic in a small
mound on a cutting board and
sprinkle it with the salt. Use the
flat edge of a knife to work the
garlic and salt together t o form a
paste.
lDiscard the eggplant stems and
use your fingers (or a paring
knife) to peel off and discard the
skin. (It’s okay if some bits of
charred skin remain.) Coarsely
chop the eggplant flesh (it will
be soft; the pieces won’t b e clear-
ly defined) and transfer to a
mixing bowl. Add the tomato,
pepper, parsley, onion, lemon
juice, oil, pepper and the garlic
paste, stirring gently to incorpo-
rate. Ta ste, add more salt, pep-
per and/or lemon juice, as need-
ed.
lServe right away.
Nutrition | Per serving (based on 6): 70
calories, 2 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 3 g
fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 100
mg sodium, 5 g dietary fiber, 6 g sugar
Recipe tested by Kathleen O’Boyle; email
questions to [email protected]
A sumptuous salad with silky, smoky eggplant
STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG FOR THE WASHINGTON POST;
FOOD STYLING BY LISA CHERKASKY FOR THE WASHINGTON POST
Ellie
Krieger
NOURISH
To contact us: Email: [email protected] Telephone:
202-334-7575 Mail: The Washington Post, Food, 1301 K
St. NW, Washington, D.C. 200 71
FOOD
Once everything is in the pan, give it a good toss to evenly coat the
vegetables with the olive oil and spices.