Vive le Fresh! - vegetarian menus influenced by French cuisine

A fabulous French meal prepared with the best of the season

Imagine yourself in one of the most beautiful cities in the world--Paris. You've spent the morning in the magnificent Musee d' Orsay (once the main railway station in the city and now a museum housing some of the world's finest paintings) and are now beginning to wend your way through the Left Bank's maze of narrow roads. You stop to admire the rows of luscious vegetable tarts in the window of a patisserie. Rounding a comer, you discover an open-air market with a profusion of stalls filled with fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses and herbs. Vivid colors and aromas engulf your senses as you stroll by a luxuriant array of bright red tomatoes, zucchini with yellow blossoms, brilliant peppers, earthy mushrooms and tight bundles of thin, green asparagus. Loaves of crusty farmhouse bread made early that morning are piled high on one table. Nearby, cheeses from the provinces are artfully arranged. Just thinking about the gastronomic possibilities of these fabulous foods can make you dizzy.

All over France, inspiration for dinner comes from enticing food markets. Shoppers comb the aisles without a specific list in hand and hunt for what looks best. Their home-cooked meals are usually straightforward and basic: soups, salads, tarts, sautes and cooked vegetables.

Few of us have access to markets comparable to those in Paris. Nevertheless, the French way of food shopping imparts an important lesson: to develop an awareness of the peak season of individual fruits and vegetables and buy them when they are of highest quality.

Take advantage of farm stands and farmers' markets in your area; they carry reasonably priced, just-picked produce and often sell items that are not available in supermarkets. And by patronizing these smaller businesses, you help to ensure their continued existence and growth.

The following recipes call for ingredients that come to the market in the spring or early summer. But rather than going to the store with a hard-and-fast shopping list, be flexible and let what you find inspire you. Think about complementary flavors and contrasting colors and textures. This is the true joy of seasonal vegetarian cooking.

Menu Spring Vegetable Soup with Melba Toast (Potage Printanier) * Asparagus with Garlic Mayonnaise (Asperges au Aioli) * Savory Vegetable Tart (matte Provencale) * Spinach Salad with Walnuts (Salad di Epinards et Noisettes) * Lemon Sorbet with Raspberry Sauce (Sorbet au Limone et Coulis Framboises)

Spring Vegetable Soup

4 TO 6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE (30)

This soup is easy to make and requires very little cooking, which means the vegetables stay fresh-tasting and flavorful. The first peas of the season would be the best choice, but frozen peas are an excellent alternative. Accompany this soup with Melba toasts (see box, p. 36).

1 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion, minced (1 cup)
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 large carrot, finely diced (3/4 cup)
1 cup shelled fresh or frozen peas,
thawed
6 cups vegetable broth, heated
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges for serving

IN LARGE SAUCEPAN, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

Add peas and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add hot broth and bring to boil. Cook 1 minute. Stir in lettuce, salt and pepper. Serve hot with lemon wedges to squeeze into each portion.

PER SERVING: 115 CAL.; 6G PROT.; 5G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 15G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 1,550MG SOD.; 3G FIBER

Asparagus with Garlic Mayonnaise

4 TO 6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE (30)

Fresh spring-green asparagus is an elegant vegetable, but it's often paired with calorie-packed sauces. Try serving the spears with a healthier soy mayonnaise flavored with garlic, and be sure not to overcook the asparagus. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the spears. Asparagus is a great source of folic acid, which is known to help lower the risk of coronary heart disease.

Garlic mayonnaise

1 cup soy mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs,
such as basil, tarragon
or chervil
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper
1 to 1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, tough ends
trimmed

GARLIC MAYONNAISE: In medium bowl, mix all ingredients. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Whisk well before serving.

Steam asparagus until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain, arrange asparagus on plates and serve hot with spoonful of garlic mayonnaise.

Alternatively, serve asparagus cold. After cooking, drain asparagus, rinse with cold water until cool, then drain again. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

PER SERVING WITH 1 TABLESPOON GARLIC MAYONNAISE: 58 CAL.; 3G PROT.; 3G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 7G CARB.; 0 CHOL; 110MG SOD.; 2G FIBER

Savory Vegetable Tart

6 SERVINGS LACTO

If you were living in Paris, you would be able to go to your local bakery and buy a tart like this--and it would taste delicious. To speed up the preparation, use a ready-made whole wheat pastry crust to line the pan. Your tart will look best if you choose tomatoes and zucchini of roughly the same diameter.

Pastry crust

2 cups unbleached white flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 to 5 Tbs. skim or low-fat milk,
as needed

4 tsp. olive oil
2 large onions, sliced (4 cups)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
3 to 4 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced

CRUST: Preheat oven to 400 [degrees] F. In large bowl, mix both flours and salt. Gradually add oil, tossing mixture with fork until crumbly. Stirring with fork, add enough milk until mixture comes together in ball. Shape into small disc.

Roll out dough between two sheets of wax paper into 12-inch round about inch thick. Remove top sheet of paper and invert dough, without stretching, into 9-inch round tart pan with removable bottom. Carefully peel off top piece of wax paper. Fit dough along bottom and up sides of tart pan and trim edges.

Loosely line crust with foil, and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 [degrees] F.

In large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to crust and spread evenly. Season with some of the salt and pepper. Add zucchini to skillet and cook until light golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Arrange zucchini and tomato slices in alternate circles on top of onions, sprinkling with remaining salt and pepper. Bake until tomatoes soften, about 25 minutes. Serve warm, or transfer to wire rack to cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

PER SERVING: 434 CAL.; 8G PROT.; 22G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 52G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 374MG SOD.; 6G FIBER

Spinach Salad with Walnuts

4 TO 6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE 30

Baby spinach leaves are best for this salad because their flavor and texture are especially delicate. But if you cannot find them, you can use any type of greens. Walnut oil has a smooth, rich flavor. It spoils very quickly, however, so buy it in small quantities and refrigerate it during hot weather. You can also use a good-quality olive oil.

1/4 to 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
(2 oz.)
6 to 8 cups baby spinach or other
salad leaves

Walnut vinaigrette

2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 cup walnut oil
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Spread walnuts in small baking pan. Bake until fragrant, watching closely to prevent burning and shaking pan occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Rinse spinach leaves and pat dry with paper towels. Place in large bowl.

Vinaigrette: In small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Gradually whisk in both oils until well blended. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour enough vinaigrette over spinach to coat and toss. Divide among serving plates. Sprinkle with toasted walnuts.

PER SERVING: 134 CAL.; 3G PROT.; 12G TOTAL FAT (1G SAT. FAT); 4G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 350MG SOD.; 3G FIBER

Lemon Sorbet with Raspberry Sauce

4 TO 6 SERVINGS DAIRY-FREE 30

This dessert makes a deliciously fresh finale. Ready-made sorbet is a wonderful freezer standby, and served with a jewel-like sauce, it will surely impress. If lemon is not your favorite flavor, try an orange, mango or pineapple sorbet.

Raspberry sauce

1 pint fresh raspberries or 12-oz.
pkg. frozen raspberries, thawed
2 Tbs. confectioners' sugar

1 to 2 pints lemon sorbet or other fruit
sorbet

Thin strips lemon peel for garnish
Fresh raspberries for garnish

SAUCE: In food processor or blender, process raspberries until pureed. Strain through fine-meshed sieve into medium saucepan; discard seeds. Stir confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons water into raspberry puree.

Bring mixture to boil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool.

To serve, scoop sorbet into shallow bowls. Spoon a little raspberry sauce around each plate, garnish with lemon peel and fresh raspberries and serve.

PER SERVING: 134 CAL.; 1G PROT.; 0 TOTAL FAT (0 SAT. FAT); 33G CARB.; 0 CHOL.; 8MG SOD.; 2G FIBER

Making Melba Toast

Created by the famous French chef Escoffier for the opera singer Dame Nellie Melba, this extremely thin, crisp toast is delicious served with soup. Although Melba toast is available in packets from your supermarket, it's very easy to make from scratch and tastes better homemade.

Buy firm sliced bread sold specifically for sandwiches. Toast as many slices as required on both sides. While still hot, cut the crusts off with a serrated knife. Split each piece of toast in half horizontally (like an english muffin). Carefully separate and place slices, untoasted side up, on a baking sheet. Broil or bake at 375 [degrees] F until golden. Let cool and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Raspberries

More than just a sweet treat, raspberries are nutritional powerhouses. A half-cup provides 15 milligrams (mgs.) of vitamin C--that's 25 percent of the RDA--and a mere 30 calories. On top of that, one serving (approximately 20 berries) contains 3 micrograms (mcg.) of folate, and 125 mgs. of potassium. The fruit also contains a significant mount of pectin, a soluble fiber that helps control cholesterol levels. Plus, its seeds are a great source of insoluble fiber--the ones that don't get stuck between your teeth, that is.

Sarah Bush is a food writer who divides her time between New York and London, and makes frequent trips to Paris.

COPYRIGHT 1999 Sabot Publishing
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