Citrus Oil Marinated Spring Vegetables Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes thyme, garlic, lemon zest, orange zest, salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic is pale golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the olives and cook, stirring, until just warm, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and orange juice and transfer to a decorative jar or serving bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Combine the oil, vinegar and mustard, tasting as you go so that the proportions of oil to vinegar are correct.
• Cut the garlic cloves in half, leaving the skins on, and with the tip of a knife, remove the greenish or yellow shoot in the center of the clove. Place the garlic in a press and squeeze into the oil-vinegar mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Preheat broiler. Cut the peppers into strips about two inches wide, removing the seeds. Place the peppers skin side up on a broiling pan and broil until the skins are charred and puffed. Place the pepper strips in a paper bag and close the bag. Let rest for a few minutes, then remove the peppers and peel away the skin.
• Slice the peppers into thin strips. While they are still warm, toss in a little of the garlic vinaigrette sauce and place on a serving platter large enough to hold all the vegetables attractively.
• Place the artichokes in a vegetable steamer and steam until cooked. Peel the fava beans and steam (if you have a Chinese bamboo steamer several layers can be cooked at the same time). Break the cauliflower into florets, trim the asparagus, and steam.
• Slice the tops off the artichokes about one-half inch down and remove the outer leaves. The part you have left should be tender enough to eat whole. Dust the artichokes in some of the vinaigrette dressing and place on the serving platter.
• Peel the tough skin from the fava beans and toss the beans in the dressing. Place on the serving platter along with the cooked cauliflower and asparagus. Pour the remaining dressing over the asparagus and cauliflower and sprinkle the vegetables with the chives. Let sit at room temperature for an hour before serving.

Steps:

• Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking over medium-high heat by pouring the coals onto one half of the grill. For a gas grill, heat all of the burners to high, then turn one of the end burners off before cooking.
• While the grill is heating, make the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup oil, vinegar, mustard and shallot. Season with salt and pepper. Cut the vegetables into pieces that are large enough so as to not slip through the grates; for small or slender vegetables, like snap peas or green beans, leave them whole. Pat the vegetables dry, then transfer to a sheet pan, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat.
• When you're ready to grill, take the marinade, vegetables, tongs and a tightly folded paper towel soaked with olive oil to the grill. Clean the grates with a grill brush, then oil the grates with the paper towel. Grill the vegetables over the flame, flipping occasionally, until well browned and tender, 2 to 15 minutes, depending on the density and size of the vegetables. (For a gas grill, close the lid between flips, listening and keeping an eye out for flare-ups.) As the vegetables finish, transfer them to the marinade. Let the vegetables sit in the marinade for at least 5 minutes. Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge. Let come to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Shake together all ingredients and place in refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes for flavors to blend.
• If using as a salad dressing, allow dressing to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes then shake just before pouring over salad greens.
• If using as a marinade, place meat/seafood/veggies into a Ziplock bag, shake marinade and pour into the bag and close it up to allow the items to marinate.