Grilled Leeks With Romesco Sauce

In Catalonia there is an annual ritual called the calçotada, an outdoor barbecue that revolves around local spring onions called calçots. After harvest, the onions, which look like baby leeks, are grilled, then wrapped in newspapers to steam for a bit. They’re served with romesco sauce, the nut-thickened pepper purée that is another regional specialty. For this picnic recipe, I’ve substituted leeks for the spring onions and reversed the process, steaming the leeks at home, then finishing them on a wood fire to get the smoky flavor.

For the romesco sauce:

1 medium red pepper, roasted, peeled, seeds and membranes removed

6 ounces tomatoes (1 large or 2 roma)

1 thick slice (about 1 ounce) baguette or country-style bread, lightly toasted

1 large garlic clove, peeled

1/4 cup toasted almonds, or a combination of almonds and skinned roasted hazelnuts

1/2 to 1 teaspoon pure ground chili powder or red pepper flakes, to taste (pepper flakes are hotter)

2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika or Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed

For the leeks:

6 fat leeks, or 12 baby leeks

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Make the romesco sauce. Preheat the broiler, and cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the tomatoes on the baking sheet, and place under the broiler at the highest setting. Broil for two to four minutes until charred on one side. Turn over, and broil on the other side for two to four minutes until charred. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. Peel and core.

2. Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic cloves. When the garlic is chopped and adheres to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the sides. Add the toasted almonds (or almonds and hazelnuts), bread and chili powder or flakes to the bowl. Process into a paste. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pepper, tomatoes, parsley, paprika, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With the machine running, add the vinegar and olive oil in a slow stream. Process until well mixed, then scrape into a bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt as desired. If possible, allow the sauce to stand for an hour at room temperature before using.

3. Cut away the dark green ends of the leeks. Trim the root end. Cut fat leeks lengthwise into quarters, and rinse thoroughly under cold water to wash away any sand. If your leeks are 1/2 inch in diameter they needn’t be cut; if they are between 1/2 inch and an inch, you can just cut them in half.

4. Bring an inch of water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer. Place the leeks in the steamer, and steam 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, and toss with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

5. Prepare a medium-hot grill. Grill the steamed leeks for five minutes, turning often, just until grill marks appear. Remove from the heat, and serve with romesco sauce.

Yield: Serves six.

Advanced preparation: Romesco keeps for several days in the refrigerator; the garlic will become more pungent. The steamed leeks will keep in the refrigerator for three days.

Nutritional information per serving: 222 calories; 16 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 19 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 53 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 3 grams protein

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Grilled Mushrooms in Foil Packets

If you like to grill foods at a picnic, here’s a great vegetarian option. Prepare these packets at home, then pack them, ready to grill, in your picnic basket. The recipe is inspired by one in Patricia Wells’s cookbook “Vegetable Harvest.” You can make this with cultivated or wild mushrooms.

1 pound large mushrooms (regular, portobello, wild, oyster or a combination), cleaned, trimmed and sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, mint, sage, rosemary or marjoram

2 to 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced or chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus additional for brushing foil

1. Cut four 12-by-12-inch squares of heavy aluminum foil, or eight squares of regular aluminum foil (stack two sheets each of the lighter foil to make four squares).

2. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper, and olive oil. Use a large spoon to blend the ingredients.

3. Brush the dull side of the aluminum squares with olive oil, and divide the mushrooms among the four squares. Fold the squares over and crimp the edges together to form well-sealed packets. Place on a hot grill, and grill 20 to 25 minutes. Remove one packet from the grill, and place on a plate. Carefully open it to check for doneness. The mushrooms should be tender and juicy. Either transfer to plates or bowls (there will be lots of juice), or cut the packets and eat the mushrooms directly from them. Have lots of crusty bread on hand to sop up the juices.

Yield: Serves four.

Advance preparation: You can prepare the foil packets up to a day ahead and keep in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving: 89 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 6 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 4 grams protein

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Turkish Bean and Herb Salad

The authentic version of this sweet, fragrant bean salad requires about three times as much olive oil. In Turkey, borlotti beans or red beans would be used; I prefer pink beans, available in many supermarkets. The salad is adapted from a recipe by the cookbook author Clifford Wright.

1 pound pink beans, borlotti beans, cranberry beans, kidney beans or pintos, washed, picked over, and soaked for at least four hours in 2 quarts water

1 yellow onion, cut in half across the equator

8 garlic cloves, 2 lightly crushed, the rest coarsely chopped or sliced

1 bay leaf

Salt to taste

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large red onion, cut in half lengthwise, then in thin slices across the grain

1 teaspoon sugar

1 pound tomatoes

1 bunch fresh dill, stemmed and coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Leaves from 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (optional), plus 2 lemons, cut into wedges, for serving

1. Combine the beans and their soaking water with the two crushed garlic cloves, the halved yellow onion and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer one hour. Add salt to taste, and continue to simmer until tender but intact, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat. Discard the onion halves, garlic cloves and bay leaf, and carefully drain the beans through a colander or strainer set over a bowl.

2. Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes in half across the equator. Set a strainer over a bowl, and squeeze out the seeds from the tomatoes into the strainer. Rub the gelatinous seed sacs against the strainer to extract the juice, and discard the seeds. Grate the tomatoes against the large holes of a box grater set in a wide bowl, and discard the skins. Add the juice from the strained seeds to the grated tomatoes, and stir together.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the onion. Cook, stirring often, until very soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the sugar, half the tomatoes and half the herbs. Reduce the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture has cooked down to a fragrant sauce, about 15 minutes. Stir in the beans, 1/2 cup of broth and the remaining tomatoes. Cover and simmer for another 25 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining herbs and olive oil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to cool. Stir in the lemon juice if desired, and serve with lemon wedges. If the beans seem dry, add more of the bean broth to taste.

Variation: You can use canned beans for this dish. You will need 5 cups beans (three cans). Drain them and rinse well, and substitute water for the bean broth.

Yield: Serves eight.

Advance preparation: This will keep for four or five days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving: 285 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 43 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams dietary fiber; 11 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 13 grams protein

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Ratatouille

Like many savory stews, this Niçoise classic tastes even better the day after you make it — and it’s great cold as well as hot, which is why I like it for picnics. Make a big pot of it a day or two beforehand, and pack as much as you need. To cut down on oil, I roast the eggplant, instead of frying it in the traditional manner, before combining it with the other vegetables.

1 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt

3/4 pound (2 medium) onions, thinly sliced

4 to 6 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

3/4 pound mixed sweet peppers (red, yellow, green), cut into slices about 3/4 inch wide by 1 1/2 inches long

1 1/4 pounds zucchini, sliced about 1/2 inch thick (if very thick, cut in half lengthwise first)

1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

1 to 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Freshly ground pepper

2 to 4 tablespoons slivered or chopped fresh basil, to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place the cubed eggplant in a large, heavy flameproof casserole. Toss with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and salt to taste. Place in the hot oven, and roast uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring from time to time until the eggplant is lightly browned and fragrant. Remove the casserole from the oven, cover tightly and allow the eggplant to steam in the hot casserole while you pan-cook the onions, peppers and zucchini.

2. Heat a tablespoon of the remaining oil over medium heat in a large, heavy nonstick skillet. Add the onions. Cook, stirring often, until just about tender, about five minutes. Stir in the peppers and a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the peppers have softened and smell fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in half the garlic, and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole with the eggplant. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet, and add the zucchini. Cook, stirring often, until tender but still bright, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining garlic and mix together for a minute until fragrant. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and transfer to the casserole. Add the tomatoes to the casserole along with the bay leaf, thyme, oregano, and more salt and pepper to taste. Toss everything together, and place over medium-low heat. When the vegetables begin to sizzle, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for 30 to 45 minutes until the mixture is juicy and fragrant and the vegetables are thoroughly tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve warm or cold, preferably the next day. Stir in the basil shortly before serving.

Yield: Serves six to eight.

Advance preparation: Ratatouille keeps well in the refrigerator for about five days.

Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 153 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 21 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 18 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 4 grams protein

Nutritional information per serving (eight servings): 115 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 16 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 13 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during preparation); 3 grams protein

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com. Her new book, “Recipes for Health” (Rodale), will be published this week.

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