Kasey Wilson: Vegetables aren’t just good for you, they can taste great as well

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“Eat your vegetables,” say the nutritionists and parents, and that couldn’t be easier or more enjoyable to accomplish than in the Lower Mainland, especially at this time of year. At the Granville Island Public Market, the colourful mounds of seasonal produce are a feast for the senses.

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Toronto-based chef, author and television personality Trish Magwood is one of those eat-your-vegetables moms. In her new cookbook, My New Table: Everyday Inspiration for Eating + Living, she says that she tells her children’s friends, “If I make you eat your veggies, it means I love you and you are like family.”

She recalls that the first time she had Brussels sprouts. It was at a friend’s house when she was she was a ninth grader.

“Her mom made me eat them, and I hated them.”

Sweetened by maple syrup, her own Brussels sprouts with Pancetta and Dates couldn’t be an easier sell.

Trish Magwood’s Brussels sprouts with Pancetta and Dates

“This recipe is a great side mostly because of the maple syrup and balsamic vinegar that candy the sprouts,” Trish Magwood writes. For added richness, sprinkle the Brussels sprouts with a Gorgonzola or your favourite blue cheese just before serving.

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5 oz (140 g) pancetta, cut into chunks

1 lb (455 g) Brussels sprouts

2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil

Salt and freshly cracked pepper

3 tbsp (45 mL) aged balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp (30 mL) aged maple syrup

½ cup (125 mL) Medjool dates, pitted and halved

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). In a pan over medium heat, fry the pancetta for 2 to 3 minutes per side until it crisps and curls.

In a shallow baking dish or sheet pan lined with parchment paper, toss the Brussels sprouts with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and drizzle sprouts with the balsamic and maple syrup; toss to coat. Top with the dates and pancetta and roast for 10 more minutes, until just softened.

Place the pan under the broiler for about 30 seconds at the end to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

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Serves 4

Scalloped Potatoes with Carrots

This countrified version of a French classic is made with milk rather than cream. Always use Idaho bakers and a good Swiss cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler.

5 tbsp (80 gr) butter, divided

2 cups (500 gr) thinly sliced carrots

1 shallot, peeled and minced

Salt

2 or 3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Freshly ground pepper

1 cup (125 gr) grated Swiss cheese

1 cup (250 mL) milk, scalded

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

In a heavy saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Stir in carrots and shallot. Add ¾ cup water and ¼ tsp salt. Simmer, partially covered, until the liquid has evaporated and carrots are just tender, about 15 minutes.

Butter a large, casserole dish that’s about 2 inches deep. Add potatoes and carrots in layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper and dotting with butter.

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Pour scalded milk over all, top with cheese and dot with remaining butter. Bake for about 1 hour, until the milk is absorbed, the vegetables are tender and the top is browned.

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Fries

Serve these deep-orange fries with an assortment of sauces and dips such as soy and mustard sauce, guacamole or sour cream and horseradish.

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise// into ½-inch slices

Peanut oil, for deep frying

Salt

Cut sweet potato slices into long, thin strips and pat thoroughly dry with paper towels.

Pour 1½ to 2 inches of oil into a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven and heat it to 375 degrees F.

Working in batches to avoid crowding, add sweet potato strips and fry until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on paper towels.

Place finished fries on a baking sheet, season to taste with salt and keep warm in a 300 F degree oven until ready to serve.

Serves 4

Kitchen Hack: Shopping the Salad Bar

Some cooks enjoy the zen of prepping vegetables for stir-fries or pizza toppings, but others find it tedious. For those in the latter camp, I have two magic words: salad bar. Many supermarkets have salad bars — my favourite is Whole Foods — where cooks can purchase a wide variety of ingredients, sliced or chopped, in just the quantities they need.