You know those family holidays you used to go on as a kid? The kind where you’d go back to the same spots, visit the same distant relos, maybe even stay in the same salmon-coloured B&B somewhere by a lake, or a mountain or a Big Something? There was something cosy about it but at the same, a little variety would have been nice.
That’s what eating seasonally can be like. As certain vegetables return to shelves and you reincorporate them into your cooking, you might find yourself going back to the same dishes. Which can be comforting and nostalgic – or it can feel like Groundhog Day.
And here’s the thing about season’s eatings: these vegetables haven’t changed … but you have. If you try to recreate the magic of past experiences beat for beat, you’ll often be disappointed or bored. But throw in a new twist and you’re going to have a good time.
Take, for example, the three stalwarts of midwinter vegetables: brussels sprouts, leeks and spuds.
Alice Zaslavsky’s greengrocer’s pie – recipe
This time last year I was jigging about with colcannon, slinging the sweetness of sprouts into mashed potatoes. (If you haven’t given this a go, it’s worth a dabble.)
Beyond the mashed-potatoes-with-a-twist, there’s new-school shepherd’s pie: a vegetarian version (hence it now belongs to the greengrocer) with a filling of velvety leek and chonky brussels sprouts, and a cheesy, mustardy telltale potato topping.
Because the leek is sliced into thick rounds, it’s even more important to ensure the grit between the layers has been diligently disappeared. If yours are extra sandy, slice lengthwise through to the middle to open up the layers, then spray with cold water. Once sliced, a good five-minute soak and spin in the salad spinner should do the trick. If you’re buying leeks from the supermarket, you’ll find they’re quite girthy, so two should do it. Leeks from greengrocers and farmers’ markets may be thinner – you might need three to bulk it out.
Tarragon is a wonderful winter herb that has heart notes of aniseed with sharp, zesty top notes. Texturally, it sits somewhere between soft and hard – its leaves are delicate but stems can be woody, particularly towards the base. That’s why it works best to pick the leaves and then roughly chop them, taking advantage of the way it offers a lick of liquorice when cooked and a herbaceousness and verdant colour when fresh.
In Georgia, you can even buy Zedazeni, a tarragon-infused lemonade recognisable for its lurid green colour, invented by a Georgian chemist in 1887 in Kutaisi (incidentally, the city was also a Zaslavsky favourite for the aforementioned holidays before we migrated to Australia, and the birthplace of UK-based songstress Katie Melua). Admittedly, it’s a little on the sweet side for me now, but I recreate the experience more simply at home by popping some tarragon sprigs in fizzy water to tickle nostrils and tastebuds.
For satiety and nutrition, vegetarian mains need boosts in fat and protein, and something in the dairy department can be the ticket. In this recipe it’s protein-rich quark, commonly used in central and eastern Europe as well as Scandinavia. It’s like fine cottage cheese mixed with the acidity of sour cream. If you can’t find quark, use a good-quality cottage cheese, or any thick dairy in the fridge that needs using up (I’ve chucked in some creme fraiche before and it totally works). If you’re making a vegan version, try a tin of lentils or white beans stirred through the leeks, sub in some cashew cream instead of quark, and stir some nutritional yeast through the mash for a cheesy flavour.
If you like the look of this dish, it’s worth adding it to your week’s menu. Make it a night or so after you’ve served mash with something else by planning ahead and making a double-mash batch (you’ll need a kilogram of potatoes for the mash in this recipe). To use the leftover mash, reheat it so it’s easier to schmear over the pie filling, then stir through the mustard and taste for seasoning.
For the potato mash (if you don’t have leftover mash)
1kg starchy potatoes, peeled and chopped (dutch creams or nicolas are reliable mashers)
60g butter
60ml milk (¼ cup)
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tsp salt flakes
½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
For the filling
2-3 leeks, cut into 2cm rounds
180ml vegetable stock or water (¾ cup)
500g brussels sprouts
12 sprigs tarragon
75g butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
1½ tsp salt flakes
½ tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp cornflour
2 cups frozen peas (no need to thaw)
¼ of a whole nutmeg (about 6 solid rasps on a grater, or a scant pinch of pre-ground nutmeg)
365g (1 tub) quark or cottage cheese
100g grated cheddar
To make the mashed potatoes, in a large pot add the potatoes and two tablespoons of salt and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil then drop to a simmer until the potatoes fall apart when a knife goes through them – about 25 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return to the pot to steam out any excess moisture. Using a potato masher, add the remaining mash ingredients until well combined.
Place a large, high-sided heavy-based pan or oven-to-table baking pan on a medium heat. Pop in the leeks and a half-cup (125ml) of the vegetable stock (or water). Cook down on a medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
While the leeks are cooking, preheat the oven to 210C/190C fan. Slice the brussels sprouts into 1cm rounds and pick the tarragon leaves.
When the leeks are soft and slippery but still holding their shape and the cooking liquid has evaporated, bob in the butter and stir about for a few minutes to emulsify. Roughly chop three-quarters of the tarragon leaves (save the rest to chop at the last minute for the garnish), then toss these into the pan along with the brussels sprouts, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir about together for a few minutes until the brussels sprouts are fluorescent but still firm.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining quarter-cup (60ml) of stock (or water) with the cornflour, making sure the cornflour is dissolved and there are no lumps. Pour into the pan, stir to combine, and simmer for two to three minutes, until the liquid has thickened. Add the peas, nutmeg and quark and stir to combine. Cook for another minute and then switch off the heat. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt or pepper if needed.
Pop the filling into a large ovenproof pie dish (or keep in the same pan if it’s ovenproof). Top with the mash then grated cheddar. Place in the oven for 15 minutes or so to melt and burnish the cheese (the filling is already cooked).
To serve, roughly chop the remaining tarragon and sprinkle it over the top of the pie. Sparkling water with some sprigs of tarragon is an optional but excellent beverage pairing.
