Meatless Monday - Bollito Misto of Vegetables

Doesn't the name sound exotic?  Who wouldn't want to dine on a dish with a name like this.  It also sounds hard to make but it's not.  You don't have to tell anyone it's easy.  In the winter you can use whatever winter vegetables are in season.

Bollito Misto of Vegetables

• 3-4 cloves of garlic, slivered
• 3-4 scallions or a small onion, sliced
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• several parsley and thyme sprigs
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp course salt
• 3-4 colorful new potatoes, scrubbed and sliced about 3/8" thick
• 3-4 small carrots, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and quartered
• 1-2 leeks, well washed and halved
• 2-3 small summer turnups, scrubbed and halved
• 1-2 summer squash, sliced about 1/2 inch thick
• Handfull of green beans, trimmed
• 3-4 radishes, scrubbed, leave some leaves attached
• Handful of peas or fava beans, shucked and peeled
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• freshly ground pepper
• chopped fresh seasonal herbs

Simmer 2-3 quarts of water in 2 wide skillets, add the garlic, scallions, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, olive oil and salt to each pan.

In one pan add radishes, turnups and any other aromatic veggies you've chosen.  Place the more neutral veggies in the other pan starting with the vegetables that take the longest time to cook (potatoes, carrots...).  I usually cut the quicker cooking veggies as the potatoes and carrots are cooking.

Once the vegetables are done cooking to your satisfaction, arrange them on a platter.  Now pour over a little broth from the pan that the potatoes were cooked in.  Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over all and season with fresh chopped herbs.

Serve with crusty bread.

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