Stir-Fried Vegetables

There's a new vendor at the farmer's market who sells beautiful mushrooms. He even sells kits so people can grow their own (no manure involved). He explained the process - it's fascinating, though too complex for me to try and recount.

After having bought shiitake mushrooms without any specific plans, I had to come up with one. I found a recipe for a vegetable dish that got me inspired to do this simple preparation for mixed vegetables: stir-fry them with a simple flavoring of garlic and ginger. I am in love! The first time I used shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, red bell pepper, and onions. The second time (pictured): shiitake mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, swiss chard, and onions. The mushrooms had a nice, meaty texture contrast to the other vegetables.

Stir-Fried Vegetables

olive oil
garlic clove, minced
fresh ginger, grated
onions, diced
choice of vegetables: broccoli, thinly sliced carrots, shredded bok choy or cabbage, red bell pepper, mushrooms, sugar or snow peas, etc.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. After the oil is hot, add one garlic clove, minced and 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger. Saute for 1 minute. Add chopped vegetables (1 head broccoli, cut into florets; 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces, 2 Tbsp. onion, diced, and 1/2 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms) to skillet. Stir-fry (which means actively stir the vegetables while they cook) for 3 minutes. Then cover the skillet and cook for 3 more minutes. Sprinkle with a little salt.

For a more substantial meal, add diced tofu with the vegetables. Serve with a splash of soy sauce over rice.

Two handy tools to make this a snap: garlic press and microplane zester.