Poached Veggies with Walnut Relish

A few minutes in simmering water brings out each vegetable's flavor while retaining its color and crisp-tender texture.

Poached Veggies with Walnut Relish
Photo: Blaine Moats
Hands On Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
6

Ingredients

  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced

  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme

  • 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and halved lengthwise

  • 8 spring onions or scallions, halved lengthwise but root intact

  • 1 cup sugar snap peas and/or fresh spring peas

  • 8 baby turnips, trimmed and halved

  • 12 radishes, trimmed

  • 10 - 12 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and gills removed

  • 10 - 12 baby carrots, halved if desired

  • 8 baby artichokes, prepped* and halved

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • Walnut Relish (see recipe)

Directions

  1. Tie garlic, coriander, fennel, peppercorns, and thyme into a 6-inch piece of double-thick 100% cotton cheesecloth. Place in a large pot of 6 cups simmering water and 2 tsp. salt.

  2. Add asparagus; cook 2 minutes. Add spring onions and peas; cook 2 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to a shallow dish. Add turnips to pot; cook 3 minutes. Add radishes and mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to dish with asparagus. Add carrots to pot; cook 4 to 6 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer carrots to dish with asparagus. Add artichokes and lemon juice to pot; cook 7 to 8 minutes or until tender. Transfer artichokes to dish with veggies. Serve with Walnut Relish. Serves 6.

Tips

To prep baby artichokes, stir 2 tablespoons lemon juice into half a large bowl of water. Tear off the tough outer leaves and peel off the stems' tough outer layer, placing artichokes in the water mixture as you go.

Walnut Relish

In a 350° oven, bake 1 cup walnut halves 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant. In a medium bowl combine zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 tsp. salt. Transfer toasted walnuts to a resealable plastic bag. Smash with the back of a frying pan until broken into small pieces. Immediately stir walnuts into vinegar mixture. Just before serving, stir in 1 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley. Season with salt and black pepper.

Tips

Preparation is key: Have the vegetables washed and trimmed and/or halved on a tray by the stove so you can add them to the water at the right time.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

271 Calories
22g Fat
15g Carbs
6g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 6
Calories 271
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 22g 28%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Sodium 449mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 41.4mg 207%
Calcium 87mg 7%
Iron 3.1mg 17%
Potassium 497mg 11%
Folate, total 93.4mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.3mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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