International Vegetable Recipes Wed, 4 Aug 2004, at 12:20 p.m.

This news letter is from an AOL food chat and is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission of host Judee.

Our recipes tonight are for International Vegetable Recipes. We hope you find several that you can prepare after a trip to your garden or your local farmer's market.

Welcome to the Cooking Around the World Chat. Tonight we are continuing with our theme of "International Vegetable Recipes". The vegetables we will feature tonight are sweet peppers, potatoes and eggplant.

Dianne will not be with us tonight. She is busy watching Little League Baseball games. Her son, Josh, is on the team playing for state championship.

And now for the recipes. 

Porrusalda - Basque

This is a very traditional basque recipe, it means "leek soup" in basque.
It's very easy to cook and you can make any vegan changes you want on it, like the also traditional "porrupatata", cooked without pumpkin and with carrots.

8 medium potatoes
8 thick leeks
2 1/4 pounds pumpkin
olive oil
salt

Wash the leeks and cut them in bits. Heat water in a pot and put the leeks in it when it starts to boil. Let it boil slowly for 10 minutes and then add the chopped pumpkin and the potatoes, peeled and cracked in bits (start cutting them with a knife and before finishing the cut, crack them. It makes the broth denser).

Let it boil slowly for 10 minutes, salt it and pour virgin olive oil on it. Cook all for 10-15 minutes and serve it hot.

Chunky Gazpacho
From: Genessa Radke - skattrbrains@hotmail.com - Edmonton, Alberta, Ca

A combination of many different gazpacho recipes, but with no blending. First derived from my mothers recipe.

1 sm. summer squash diced
1 cucumber diced
2 med. tomatoes diced
1 green pepper diced
1 red pepper diced
1 red onion chopped fine
1/4 c. green onion
1 can cut baby corn -- drained (save the water)
1 carrot sliced thinly
1 stalk celery thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
1.5 liters V-8 (about 6 cups)
water from baby corn
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
tobacco sauce --to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large soup terrene. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.Thats the basic recipe --any of your favorite vegetables can be used, also fresh herbs and spices can be added to suit your taste. Tomato juice can be used instead of V-8, but vegetable cocktails tend to give this recipe more zing.

Briami (Greek vegetables)

5-6 large zucchini, cut in 1 in. cubes
3-4 medium potatoes, cut in similar cubes
2 eggplants (the purple, zucchini look-alike) cut in cubes
1 can stewed tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic crushed
1 onion , cut in large chunks
a couple of bay-leaves
1/2 cup oil (preferably olive, but any kind will do)
a dash of nutmeg, thyme
salt and pepper

Arrange (really throw in!) all the ingredients in your baking pan, and give them a good mix (another name for this dish is TOURLOU, i.e. mix-mix) and bake for about 1 hour at a medium heat oven keep adding a touch of water to keep the stuff from frying
allow to cool before eating.

Serve with a generous amount of oil and juices and with some bread to clean up the plate!

Peas, Potato, Eggplant Curry - India

2 Large potatoes
1 med. size eggplant
1 C. frozen peas
2 cloves garlic
1/4 lb. ginger
1 dried hot chili or 1/4 teas. chili powder
1 onion
1/2 teas. turmeric powder

Wash and cut potatoes in small pieces. Cut eggplant into thin slices, about 2-3 inches long. Put it in water. With 2 T's of water, blend the cloves of garlic, ginger, dried chili or chili powder, and onion. Make it into a thick mixture. Put a cooking pot over a low heat. (add oil).Add turmeric powder and blended spices. When the spices become relatively thick, add potatoes. Mix thoroughly and put the lid on the pot. Let it cook 3 mins. Now, add sliced eggplant. Mix thoroughly. Add 1/2 C. water. Put lid on. Cook for 8 mins. You may want to check the veggies to make sure the bottom does not burn. Add peas and salt. Mix all veggies and put lid back. Cook for 4 to 9 mins. When the eggplants feels soft, turn off the heat, mix again. Serve hot or warm.

Brown Bastmati rice is good with this.

Sautéed Peppers - Italy

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion -- or 1/2 Vidalia
3 bell peppers -- (any color or colors
2 garlic cloves -- sliced (or powder)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon marjoram -- (1 t dried)
salt and pepper -- to taste

Quarter onion and slice thinly. Slice peppers to desired thickness. Saute onions, over high heat, in olive oil for 4-5 minutes until edges are browned. Add peppers and garlic, and continue to saute over high heat for 10 minutes, until peppers start to get browned. Lower heat to medium, add tomato sauce. Cook for another 10 minutes.
At the end, add vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and marjoram. Serve over pasta, rice, or polenta.

Moroccan Stew

1/4 cup water or veggie broth for sautéing
1 to 2 cups water for stewing vegetables in
Two large onions, chopped
Four cloves garlic (large cloves, mash these)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 to 1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 diced sweet potatoes
2 diced zucchini
2 diced summer squash
1 diced carrot
2 diced tomatoes
1 diced bell (green) pepper
2 or 1 (depending if you like the buggers) cans garbanzo beans (drained)
raisins (however many you like, I used a cup of raisins).

Saute onions, garlic and spices in water or veggie broth. Add sweet potatoes, zucchini summer squash and carrots. Let stew. Add water as necessary. Add tomatoes, bell pepper and garbanzos. Let stew. Add raisins. Cook until potatoes are mushy or done to your liking (about 30 minutes). Serve over couscous or rice. Servings: a lot!

French Style Potato Salad

Serving Size: 4

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed -- (not peeled)
1/3 cup dry white wine *or 1/2 c white wine vinegar*
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2/3 cup chopped scallions

Boil the whole unpeeled potatoes in generously salted water until fork-tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size.

As soon as you can handle the potatoes, but while they're still warm, sliced them just under 1/2-inch thick. In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil the wine until it's reduced by half (if using vinegar, don't cook it).

Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and hot reduce wine (or the uncooked vinegar) over the warm potatoes, and toss gently.

Add the olive oil, tossing just until combined, and then add the shallots and scallions.

Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

NOTES :
Variations: Add chopped tomato
OR sliced roasted red peppers
OR minced garlic & olives
OR lemon juice and snipped chives
OR paprika and capers.

Roasted Ratatouille with Basil Aioli - France

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1" thick rounds
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" wide strips
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1" wide strips
8 small red-skin potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
1 Bermuda onion, cut into 3/4"-thick rings
8 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Several sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Basil Aioli:
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. minced garlic or to taste
Pinch salt
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In large roasting pan, combine eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, potatoes, onion rings and garlic. Scatter rosemary sprigs over top. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast vegetables, stirring every 5 minutes, until almost tender, 25 minutes.

Add tomatoes. Continue roasting, stirring once or twice, until all vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes more. Meanwhile, make aioli: In food processor, combine basil and garlic and process until finely chopped.

Add lemon juice. Gradually add soy mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture is well blended. Remove vegetables from oven and transfer to serving platter.
Serve warm with aioli on the side.

Green Beans Braised With Mint & Potatoes - Greece

3 tbs Olive oil & margarine, mixed
1 c Tomato juice or sauce
1 lb Fresh green. beans trimmed, cut
1 tbs Chopped fresh parsley, opt.
2 md Potatoes; peeled
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Chopped fresh mint

Heat the fat in an enameled pan and mix in the tomato juice or sauce.
Add the green beans and parsley to the pan with enough water to almost cover.
Tuck the potato slices in between, partially cover the pan, and simmer for 25 minutes, then stir and season with salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped mint.
Cook uncovered until the beans and potatoes are fork tender, about 10 more minutes.

If the sauce has not thickened, pour it into a small pan, and boil down to one cup, then combine with the beans and potatoes in a warm serving bowl.
Sprinkle with a little additional fresh mint and serve warm.

Roast Potatoes and Parsnips - England

By parboiling the potatoes and then roughening the flat side with a fork, they become very crispy when roasted, whereas the onion rings become slightly charred.

6 medium potatoes, peeled and halved lengthways
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced
good pinch dried, mixed herbs
2 onions, cut into thin rings
4-6tbsp sunflower or olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8oz cherry tomatoes

Pre-heat the oven to 400F. Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes until the outsides are slightly soft. Drain and place in a roasting tin flat side up. Use a fork to roughen the flat uppermost side of the potato.

Add the prepared parsnips, sprinkle with mixed herbs and arrange the onion rings over the top. Drizzle with sunflower or olive oil and season with salt and lots of black pepper.

Roast for 40 minutes, basting several times, then add the cherry tomatoes and bake for a further 15~20 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked and the tomatoes have split open. 5. Serve the roast vegetables with steamed broccoli, Brussels sprouts or mange tout with your Christmas meal.

Another Spanish 'Omelet' - Venezuela

Number served: 4; Cooking time: 30 minutes

1 onion,
1 or 2 potatoes (depends on how hungry you are),
1 broccoli or any other vegetable, but broccoli looks great on it,
chickpea flour (garbanzo flour or gram flour),
water,
salt,
pepper,
olive oil

Make a mixture with water and chickpea flour in such a proportion to get an 'egg-like' batter. Start with 1/2 cup of water, add the chickpea flour, stirring constantly, and progressively increase the amount of water and chickpea flour until you get about 1 cup of batter. Season it with salt and pepper. Boil the potatoes 'al-dente', then slice.

In a pan, stir-fry the onion (sliced) in 1 TSP. of olive oil. Add the sliced potatoes and stir until golden. Add the broccoli florets and pour the batter along the vegetables.
Put a lid on top and simmer until the bottom is golden, then turn (a plate can help - if the pan is non-stick it will make the turn a lot easier) and cook the other side. Serve hot or cold.

Papas Enchiladas (Pinked Potatoes) - Mexico

4 medium-sized potatoes
4 slices bacon
1/3 cup mild vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Gebhardt's Chili Powder

Boil potatoes until soft; peel and dice. Fry bacon until crisp and remove from skillet. Add vinegar, salt and chili powder to the bacon fat; add diced potatoes and heat thoroughly. Turn onto a heated platter, garnish with the crisp bacon. Serve hot.

Note: this may also be served as a salad; add diced celery and minced
parsley.

Rellenos de Papa - Puerto Rico

3 lb. Potatoes, pealed and cut
1 Tbspn salt
4 Tbspn of flour
2 cups meat filling
1 egg

Boil the potatoes in salted water. Drain and mash the potatoes once cooked. Add salt, egg and flour.. mix well. Divide the mixture into 8 or 10 equal parts. Powder your hands with flour and take each part in your hands.. roll then in your palms to form a ball with the dough. Make a hole in the center and place about a tablespoon of meat filling inside. Cover the hole to seal the meat inside. Deep fry them in hot vegetable oil until golden, then drain on paper towels..

Meat filling

1 lb ground beef
1 envelope of Sazón seasoning
2 Tbspn of sofrito
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 Tbspn of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 potato, pealed, boiled and cut into small cubes Brown the ground beef in a pan with a little salt.. Once browned, drain and add the rest of the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook on low-medium heat for another 6 to 8 minutes.

***What is Sazon seasoning and where can it be obtained?

Sazon is a Spanish spice that comes in packet form. You can go to a Mexican, Puerto Rican or other Spanish type store and purchase it in the spice section. One of the major brands is Goya Foods Inc. Secaucus, N.J. 07094. It contains garlic, cumin, coriander and annatto.