IT’S REALLY SPRING!
Today’s the day! We’re thrilled for you to tune in to “Food with Mark Bittman,” our new podcast on Airwave Media. We’ve got an exciting group of guests lined up, including Ted Danson, Adrian E. Miller, Jane Goodall, Tom Colicchio, Moby, Carla Hall, Dawn Davis, Raj Patel, and Eric Ripert. Today we’re kicking off with the wonderful Nigella Lawson. You can listen in here or here. And please subscribe via Apple Podcasts and download each episode: That’ll help us keep the podcast alive.
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We’re heading into summer for real now, celebrating with two hearty warm salads and a light soup that features spring vegetables. All are flexible enough to work for vegans, vegetarians, and less-meatarians. Be sure to check out the headnotes and variations. And you’ll notice the prep and cooking directions are interwoven into the steps, so the process is seamless, so they might look a tad longer than usual. To slow down the action at any point, just lower — or turn off — the stove and set your own pace. It’s summer, after all!
Vegetable Fajita Salad
Imagine a room temperature salad based on fajita components, minus the meat. (Or if you want that, just see the second variation.) Mushrooms and zucchini get a run under the broiler while peppers and onions sizzle away in a skillet. Or if you feel like firing up the grill — like I did — throw the mushrooms, zucchini, and peppers directly over a medium-high flame and maybe leave the onions raw. Either way, add crunchy corn, ripe tomatoes, and bright cilantro, then dress with lime juice and dollop with sour cream if you like. For a fancier presentation, you can plate the components separately on a large platter and let everyone serve and toss their own. Serve with warmed corn or flour tortillas or chips.
Smoky Bulgur and Eggplant, with or without Feta
Here’s a satisfying sort-of salad you can eat hot, at room temperature, or out of the fridge the next day. So it’s as flexible as the salad. And it’s easy to adjust toward vegan by skipping the cheese or putting it on the side. Check off all of the make-ahead, crowd-pleasing features that are perfect for pot lucks or picnics.
Broken Wonton Soup
Few people feel like filling and sealing wontons on a weeknight, even with packaged skins. The solution: Deconstruct the whole thing, pull together homemade wonton-style soup in minutes, then load it up with vegetables. Be sure to check out the different directions you can go with the variations.
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