Patricia Wells Celebrates Veggies

Patricia Wells has emerged as perhaps the leading American authority on French cuisine.

The Milwaukee native has lived in France more than 24 years. For much of that time, she and her husband have lived in a farmhouse in the northern region of Provence. The property is known as Chanteduc — the song of the owl — and is made up of a splendid spread of grapevines, oaks, pines and olive tress.

The cooking teacher has written 10 cookbooks, amassed awards and built an empire in France.

Wells makes French cuisine less intimidating for Americans. Her cooking classes and books educate Americans while retaining the spirit of French culture. She continues to teach herself by touring the country, meeting farmers and wine makers.

Her latest effort is called "Vegetable Harvest: Vegetables at the Center of the Plate," and she stopped by The Early Show Tuesday, recipes in hand.

It comes out at a perfect time — spring — just as the beautiful spring and summer vegetables return to markets. Vegetables add texture and flavor to a meal, and enhance its appearance.

Wells shows in this book that vegetables are great starters and entrees.

She shows us why "honorary" vegetables, such as the tomato, are more than just a sidekick to protein recipes. She teaches you how to buy the best veggies, and strongly encourages people to buy locally, for the best flavor and to support small farms.

The recipes are accompanied by anecdotes.

She also dispenses wine pairing tips.

RECIPES

SMOKED SALMON WITH DILL-MUSTARD SAUCE

(10 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons imported French mustard
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons crème fraiche or sour cream
3 tablespoons finely minced fresh dill or wild fennel fronds
20 thin slices (about 2 pounds) smoked salmon

METHOD:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, mustard, and salt. Whisking, slowly add the oil in a thin, steady stream. Add the crème fraiche, stirring until well combined. Stir in the minced herbs. Taste for seasoning.

Arrange 2 slices of smoked salmon on each of 10 chilled dinner plates and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon of the sauce. Serve.

TOMATO AND STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO

(8 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound garden-fresh tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and quartered (do not peel)
1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and stemmed
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

METHOD:
In a food processor or a blender, puree the tomatoes and the strawberries. Add the vinegar and blend again. Taste for seasoning. Chill thoroughly before serving. Serve in small, clear glasses as a refreshing aperitif.

SPRING ONION, TOMATO, AVOCADO, AND BASIL SALAD WITH BASIL-LEMON DRESSING

(4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
3 spring onions (or 6 scallions), trimmed and peeled
1 ripe avocado
Several tablespoons of Basil-Lemon Dressing
30 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, left whole is small, torn if large
Fleur de sel

METHOD:
With a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the onions crosswise into paper-thin slices. Separate into rings and drop into a large salad bowl. Peel and halve the avocado, discarding the pit. Cut each half lengthwise into thin slices and drop into the bowl. Very gently toss with enough dressing to evenly coat the onions and avocado. Add halved cherry tomatoes and toss gently once more. Sprinkle with basil and season with fleur de del. Serve on large dinner plates.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.SARDINES IN PARCHMENT WITH TOMATOES AND ONIONS

(4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
12 very fresh small sardines
2 small, oval fresh tomatoes, cored and cut lengthwise into thin slices
2 spring onions or 4 scallions, peeled and cut lengthwise into thin slices
Several branches fresh thyme
Several bay leaves, preferably fresh
2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Prepare the sardines: Rinse them under cold running water, gently rubbings the scales off. Gently twist the head off, pulling the guys with it. Discard head and guts. With your fingertips, gently press down the belly side, pressing the sardine open like a book. With your fingertips, gently pull the central bone head to tail, being careful not to tear the flesh. With scissors, gently detach the bone from the flesh. Discard the bone. Leave the sardines whole, with both fillets intact. Fold the fillets together, closing each sardine.

Place the parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Arrange the slices tomatoes, sliced onions, thyme, and bay leaves in the center of the paper or foil. Arrange the sardines on top. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Drizzle with oil. If using parchment paper, carefully fold the paper over the fish, closing it like a book. To seal the package, double-fold the top and secure with several staples. Double-fold the two sides and secure each side with several staples. If using foil, simply bring the foil up into a ball, securing the vegetables and fish, and close the foil firmly.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the package rest for a least 5 minutes. At serving time, carefully open the package with scissors, being cautious of the steam that will rinse from the package.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fish and vegetables to warm serving plates. Serve immediately.

SPAGHETTI WITH GREEN OLIVES, GARLIC, AND FRESH MINT

(4 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup pitted green olives
2 plump, moist clove garlic, peeled, halved, green germ removed
1 cup fresh mint leaves or 1/2 cup dried
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup coarse sea salt
1 pound imported Italian spaghetti

METHOD:
In a food processor or a blender, combine the olives, garlic, mint, oil, and half of the cheese. Pulse to create a roughly chopped, not smooth, sauce. Season with pepper. Transfer to a shallow bowl large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta and toss gently. Set aside.

In a 10-quart pasta pot fitted with a colander, bring 8 quarts water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add the salt and the pasta, stirring to prevent the pasta from sticking. Cook until tender but firm to the city, about 6 minutes. Remove the pasta from the heat. Remove the colander and drain over a sink, shaking to remove excess water. Immediately transfer the pasta to the sauce in the bowl. Toss to evenly coat the pasta. Toss with the remaining cheese. Season generously with pepper. Transfer to warmed bowls and serve.

BROCCOLI PUREE WITH A HINT OF MINT
(12 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds broccoli florets and stems, trimmed and rinsed
1 cup fresh mint leaves and stems, rinsed
Fine sea salt

METHOD:
Bring 1 quart water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Place the broccoli on the steaming rack. Place the rack over the simmering water, cover, and steam until the broccoli is soft and cooked through, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a food processor or a blender. Add the mint and salt and puree to a smooth-textured puree.

TOMATO-QUINOA BREAD

(1 loaf, 12 slices)

INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 cup seasoned vegetable juice (such as V-8)
1/2 cup quinoa
About 3 3/4 cups (1 pound) bread flour

METHOD:
In the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the yeast, sugar, and lukewarm water and mix to blend. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oil, salt, juice, and quinoa.

Add the flour a bit at a time, mixing at medium-low speed until most of the flour has been absorbed and the dough forms a ball. Continue to mix at medium-low speed until soft and satiny but still firm, 4 to 5 minutes, adding flour to keep the dough from sticking.

Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the dough rise in the refrigerator until double or tripled in bulk, 8 to 12 hours. (the dough can be kept for two days in the refrigerator. Simple punch it down as it doubles or triples.)

At least 40 minutes before baking the bread, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Punch down the dough and form it into a ball again. Cover the bowl securely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise until doubled in blue, about 1 hour.

Punch down the dough again. Form the dough into a tight rectangle. Place the dough in a nonstick 1-quart rectangular bread pan. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

With a razor blade or a sharp knife, slash the top of the dough, several times to it can expand regularly during baking. Place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Place the bread pan in the center of the rack. Bake until the curst is firm and golden brown and the bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, about 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer plunged into the center of the bread reads 200 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven. Turn the load out and place it on a rack to cool. Do not slice the bread for at least an hour, for it will continue to bake as it cools. The bread can be stored for up to three days, tightly wrapped in plastic. Serve in very thin slices.

RHUBARB-BERRY COMPOTE IN GRENADINE

(6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup grenadine
1 pound rhubarb, rinsed and cut into 2-inch pieces (peeled if the rhubarb is very thick)
1 pound raspberries, rinsed, or strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and quartered

METHOD:
In a large saucepan, combine the grenadine and the rhubarb and cook just until the rhubarb is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool. At serving time, stir in the raspberries or strawberries. Serve in small glass bowls.

SEASONAL FRUITS ROASTED WITH HONEY-LEMON SAUCE AND FRESH LEMON VERBENA

(6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup lavender honey, melted
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
24 ripe black figs, rinsed, stemmed, and halved lengthwise
2 cups raspberries, rinsed
Fresh lemon verbena leaves for garnish
1 recipe Sheep's Milk Yogurt Sorbet

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, combine the honey and lemon juice over low heat, stirring until the honey has totally dissolved with the juice. Set aside.

Arrange the fruit in the baking dish. Drizzle with the honey-lemon sauce and place in the oven. Bake just until warmed through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Spoon the fruits into small bowls and garnish with fresh lemon verbena leaves and a scoop of sorbet.

SHEEP'S MILK YOGURT SORBET

(12 servings)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups low-fat sheep's milk yogurt
3 large egg whites
2/3 cup sugar

METHOD:
Place the yogurt in a large bowl and whisk to blend. Set aside.

Place the egg whites in a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with a whisk. Whisk at low speed until the whites are frothy. Gradually increase the speed to high. Slowly add the sugar, whisking at high speed until stiff but not dry. Gradually told the yogurt into the beaten egg whites. Transfer to an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. The sorbet should be served as soon as it is made.