Vegetables à la Grecque

Name: Vegetables à la Grecque
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: french
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 4 or 5 plump garlic cloves, smashed and peeled; 1 good-size shallot, coarsely chopped; Bouquet garni made with 4 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves and large sprig of thyme; 4 teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds; 12 black peppercorns; 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt, to taste; 3/4 pound carrots, peeled, quartered at fat ends, halved at narrow ends, and cut in 2-inch lengths; 1 small cauliflower, cut into florets; 1/2 pound cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered if large, or halved if small; Trimmed hearts from 4 medium-size artichokes, halved or quartered (plus leaves for garnish, optional); Juice of 1 large lemon; Coarse sea salt or fleur de sel; 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley, or use a mix of herbs such as chervil, tarragon, parsley, marjoram, thyme and chives

By Martha Rose Shulman

Total Time: 1 hour
Rating: 4(54)
Notes: Read community notes

Despite its name, vegetables à la grecque is a French dish. The vegetables are slightly pickled in a broth of vegetable stock and wine. Serve this as a first course or with an assortment of hors d'oeuvres.

Featured in: Vegetables à la Grecque Shows Its Versatility

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

6tablespoons white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or sherry vinegar
½cup dry white wine
½cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 or 5plump garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1good-size shallot, coarsely chopped
Bouquet garni made with 4 sprigs parsley, 2 bay leaves and large sprig of thyme
4teaspoons coriander seeds, lightly crushed
1teaspoon fennel seeds
12black peppercorns
½ to 1teaspoon kosher or fine sea salt, to taste
¾pound carrots, peeled, quartered at fat ends, halved at narrow ends, and cut in 2-inch lengths
1small cauliflower, cut into florets
½pound cremini or white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered if large, or halved if small
Trimmed hearts from 4 medium-size artichokes, halved or quartered (plus leaves for garnish, optional)
Juice of 1 large lemon
Coarse sea salt or fleur de sel
¼cup finely chopped fresh parsley, or use a mix of herbs such as chervil, tarragon, parsley, marjoram, thyme and chives

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a 3- or 4-quart saucepan combine vinegar, wine, olive oil, garlic cloves, shallot, bouquet garni, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, peppercorns, kosher salt and 3 cups water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook 15 to 30 minutes while you prepare vegetables.
Step 2
Add carrots to the broth and simmer 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, bring back to a simmer, and cook another 15 minutes, until carrots and cauliflower are tender but not mushy. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables to a bowl. Some of the broth and seeds can come along with them.
Step 3
Add mushrooms to broth and simmer 5 minutes. Remove to bowl with carrots and cauliflower.
Step 4
Stir broth and ladle 1½ cups plus some of the coriander seeds into a small saucepan. Set aside.
Step 5
Add artichoke hearts to the pot in which you cooked the other vegetables and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until tender. Transfer to bowl with other cooked vegetables. If using artichoke leaves, steam them now. When finished, discard this broth.
Step 6
Bring reserved broth in the small saucepan to a boil and cook until liquid reduces to ½ cup. Pour over the vegetables, add lemon juice and fleur de sel and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve (for best flavor, let vegetables marinate for a few hours), or refrigerate for up to 3 days. Just before serving, garnish with herbs and, if you wish, with steamed artichoke leaves, which can be dipped into the marinade. Serve on small plates with the reduced marinade spooned on top.

Tip

To trim artichokes, fill a bowl with water and add juice of ½ lemon. Cut away stems and tops about 1 inch down from tip; break off leaves. Rub exposed surfaces with lemon. Use a paring knife to trim away the papery leaves at the center and the hairy fibers that grow out of the heart. Trim away woody “shoulders” at the bottom of the artichokes, above the stem, down to the lighter, softer heart. Immediately place in the bowl of acidulated water until ready to use.

Ratings

4 out of 5

54 user ratings

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ymadub1 year ago

We didn't care for this dish, and it was a bit fussy and time-consuming to make. These vegetables would be good for "put a couple on a plate for a pop of flavor and color," but not as an entire side dish. They're way too strongly pickled for much more than a bite.

Cooking in Kenya1 year ago

Actually, this is one of the very rare recipes whose ratings I did not agree with. I found it, as written, dull and unattractive. I had to add lots of spice and some sun-dried tomatoes to jazz it up enough.

Ellen6 years ago

This worked very well using vegetables I had on hand: carrots, cauliflower, two colors of patty pan squash and endives.

Hank6 years ago

It takes more like 90 minutes to make, but very tasty, three of us ate the entire dish as a main course. I am always on a look out for new artichoke recipes.

Ruth6 years ago

Very tempting. I wonder if the vegetables listed are there because of tradition and/or whether other vegetables could also be used successfully (e.g., green beans, peas, potatoes, broccoli) as well as those never to use (e.g., leafy greens, beets, okra).

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