Best Spring Vegetable Sauté Recipes

SPRING VEGETABLE SAUTE

Steps:

• Fill a medium bowl with water and 2 tablespoons lemon juice; set aside. With a knife, remove all but 1/2 inch stem from artichokes. Cut off sharp tips; remove tough outer leaves, trimming down to yellow inner leaves. Quarter artichokes lengthwise. If they have tough purple chokes, remove with a spoon. Rub artichoke pieces with lemon halves, and place them in lemon water as you work.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 3 1/2 quarts water, 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, garlic, peppercorns, and olive oil. Bring to a boil, and add artichoke quarters. Cook 8 minutes, until tender. Let artichokes cool in the cooking liquid.
• Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water; set aside. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. To peel the pearl onions, boil for 1 minute, and remove with a slotted spoon. When cool enough to handle, peel, leaving root and stem ends intact. Set aside.
• Return water to a boil. Add carrots and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook 6 minutes, or until tender. Transfer to bowl of ice water to stop cooking. When carrots have cooled, remove from water with a slotted spoon and set aside. When water has resumed boiling, separately repeat blanching and cooling process with remaining vegetables. Blanch haricots verts and scallions 30 seconds each and peeled pearl onions for 3 minutes.
• Just before serving, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables, and saute, stirring, until vegetables are hot and coated with butter. Add stock, parsley, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper; toss and serve.

SPRING VEGETABLE SAUTé

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a kitchen towel. Fill a medium bowl with water; add lemon juice. If using baby artichokes, working one at a time, cut away tough outer leaves until only pale-yellow leaves remain. Cut 1/2" off tops; trim stems. Halve artichokes lengthwise, if desired, then remove choke with a spoon. Place in lemon water as you finish. If using globe artichokes, remove stems and all leaves. Scrape out chokes with a spoon; cut each artichoke heart into 4 quarters and add to lemon water.
• Cook fava beans in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water; let cool. Peel and discard outer skins; transfer to prepared baking sheet (if using edamame, boil for only 1 minute; no peeling needed). Repeat cooking process with asparagus and artichokes, returning water to a boil between batches and cooling in ice water before transferring to prepared baking sheet, 3-4 minutes for asparagus and 5-6 minutes for artichokes (1-2 minutes if frozen).
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, just until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
• Transfer vegetables to a serving bowl. Drizzle with oil; garnish with mint and zest.

SPRING VEGETABLE SAUTé

Steps:

• If using dried morels, soak in warm water to cover 30 minutes. Agitate fresh or dried morels in water to dislodge grit, then lift from water, squeezing out excess, and pat dry with paper towels. Whether using fresh or dried, leave small morels whole and halve or quarter larger ones.
• Cook beans in a 4-quart saucepan of boiling salted water 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon or skimmer to a colander and rinse under cold water. Peel skins from beans with your fingers. (Keep water simmering, covered.)
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté morels, stirring, until tender, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and let stand, covered.
• Return water in saucepan to a boil, then cook asparagus, sugar snaps, and scallions until crisp-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add beans and immediately drain well in colander. Add vegetables and remaining 2 tablespoons butter to morels and toss to combine. Stir in mint and salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.