Christmas is all about the greens - the vegetable kind
How can you add more greens to your Christmas feast table? Read on to find out
I knew the Christmas season had officially arrived when a friend asked me whether a tom turkey tastes different from a hen turkey.
In the same way as financial advisers are besieged at tax time in April, I seem to spend much of the period answering all sorts of food questions.
Christmas is a marathon of shopping and cooking; people want to get it right.
I've had doctors ask my advice while they were giving my kids strep tests; I've been pulled aside at school meetings and at the market by folks who don't know me that well.
A neighbour just called to ask whether she could freeze pumpkin soup.
Dressing the table
This year, I've been presented with a poser: How could we put more green on this holiday's table?
Most Christmas meals tend to go heavy on the starches and light on the verdant vegetables.
Sweet potatoes and squash are seasonally correct and I'm a big fan. But I also want the pleasure of a green vegetable that isn't stuck in a casserole, swimming in butter or simply steamed.
Brussels sprouts on and off the stalk are starting to come into area markets.
They often end up on a holiday table but their strong flavour is a better match with roast beef than roast turkey.
Other seasonal green options include cabbages, kale and salad mixes.
What I tried to come up with were greens that seem special, either because they are hard to come by or because they can be dressed up.
Adding a new favourite
The key was not to take away what everyone loves but to add something that might become a new favourite. I chose broccolini over broccoli for my first attempt.
The milder child of broccoli has stalks so tender, they don't require peeling.
I also opted for asparagus over green beans. I passed on frozen peas and grabbed fresh sugar snap peas instead.
They are beautiful and have a wonderful, sweet flavour. I figured that if I'm lucky, even the vegetable-averse at our table will give them a try.
The next step was to give the vegetables the same measure of love usually lavished on the turkey and stuffing.
Though the green vegetables did not come from the farm next door, the flavours I chose to pair with them are seasonal and complex.
Herbs, dried fruits and nuts are easy ways to make the dishes special.
I topped the broccolini with a mixture of pecans, orange zest and just enough garlic to keep the dish savoury.
I treated the asparagus spears to a mix of mushrooms and onions.
The sugar snaps were sauced with a reduction of apple cider and chopped cranberries enriched with a touch of butter.
Now that the vegetables are figured out for this year, I can concentrate on other questions coming my way — not that I always have the answers at my fingertips.
I had to call the National Turkey Federation to solve my friend's tom-or-hen taste quandary: There's no difference at all.
Saving time and energy
Here are a few side-dish tips to help time-starved holiday cooks:
- Cook vegetables just until tender, especially if they are headed for a buffet or will sit for a while before being served.
- Whether you're steaming, boiling, microwaving or sautéing, have pots and pans set up and standing by. That will make it easier to slide things on to the stove at the last minute.
- If you're overwhelmed, keep it simple. Compound butters (mixed with seasonings such as salt and pepper, citrus zest, garlic or herbs) can dress most vegetables. Add to still-hot vegetables and toss. The butters can be made days in advance, rolled into logs and wrapped in wax paper or plastic wrap and frozen. Many stores now sell prepared compound butters.
- Toss just-cooked vegetables with fresh herbs and olive oil. The heat from the vegetables will warm the herbs just enough to enhance their flavours.
- Mushrooms, toasted nuts and dried cranberries add a holiday touch to an easy salad of mixed greens. Toss the ingredients in advance; add the dressing just before serving or decant dressings to glass or ceramic pitchers for the buffet table.
- No need to worry if the vegetables are ready a little early. Reheat them in ovenproof dishes, covered loosely with aluminum foil, in 300-degree oven just until warmed through.
Many vegetables are good served at room temperature, too.
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