Vegetable Sides for the Holiday Table

In our December 2014 Handmade Holiday issue, New Orleans food writer Brenda Maitland gathered together vegetable side dish recommendations from esteemed New Orleans chefs—so many mouthwatering sides that we couldn't fit them on the page! Lucky for our readers, the Internet is a boundless space. Find the full magazine article here, as well as lagniappe recipes below. Bon appetit!

Spinach Rockefeller
From Chef Michael Sichel of Galatoire’s

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fennel (bulb only), chopped
1/4 cup leeks (green and white parts), chopped
1/4 cup curly parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions (green and white parts), finely chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
2+1/4 cup cooked and drained frozen spinach, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1 tsp. ground anise
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Herbsaint liqueur
1 cup (2 sticks) melted, salted butter
1/2 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a food processor combine the fennel, leeks, parsley, scallions, celery, ketchup, spinach, salt, cayenne, white pepper, thyme, anise, Worcestershire, and Herbsaint. Purée the mixture thoroughly. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the contents of the food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and the breadcrumbs and stir in the cream. Ensure that the mixture is well blended.
3. Transfer the mixture to a 13 X 9 X 2-inch baking dish. Smooth the top so that it is an even layer. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until heated through. Once the spinach is heated through, increase the oven temperature to broil. Place the dish under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes until the top is bubbling and has formed a crust. Serve immediately.

Crispy Tuscan Kale
From Chef Alon Shaya of Domenica

Yield: 4 side servings

Ingredients:
1 bunch Tuscan kale
1/4 cup heirloom tomatoes, diced very small (any vine ripe tomato can substitute)
2 tbsp. green onions, sliced
1 tbsp. red onion, minced
2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
1+1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1+1/2 tsp. date vinegar
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, freshly grated
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

For batter:
1 cup chickpea flour
3/4 cup cold water

Method:

1. Preheat a deep fryer or a 1 gallon capacity sauce pot with vegetable oil to 350° F. If you’re using a sauce pot on the stove, make sure it’s double the size for the amount of oil you have in it. Use a candy or oil thermometer to monitor the temperature.
2. Lightly batter your kale in the chickpea flour batter and place in the hot oil. Be careful because the oil will splatter a little. Once the kale stops bubbling in the oil, remove from the oil and season with salt.
3. In a large bowl, toss the seasoned crispy kale with the diced tomatoes, green onions, pine nuts, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Place in a serving dish and sprinkle with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately and eat while still hot.
   
   

Eggplant Napoleon
From Chef Laurent Rochereux of Café Degas

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
3 tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
18–24 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1, 3–6 oz. pkg. fresh basil, leaves separated and stems discarded
1, 3–4 oz. pkg. fresh thyme, leaves separated and stems discarded
4–6 oz. gruyère cheese, finely shredded (Swiss cheese may be used as well)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F.
2. Starting with the eggplant, line bottom of buttered 9x9 cake pan and season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Add a layer of zucchini and then a layer of tomatoes, seasoning each lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Add a layer of basil leaves, laying the leaves flat to cover as much area as possible. Then add a layer of sliced fresh mozzarella followed by a layer of thyme leaves.
5. Add another layer of tomatoes and another layer of zucchini, each seasoned lightly with salt and pepper.
6. Add a layer of eggplant and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add finely shredded gruyère on top in an even layer.
7. Bake the Napoleon for 35 minutes or until vegetables are cooked all the way through.