Vegetables à la Grecque Recipe (2024)

By Tamar Adler

Vegetables à la Grecque Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour, plus marinating
Rating
5(50)
Notes
Read community notes

I wrote that I found these perfect — the ur-preserves — and then tasted them again. And I can only affirm it as a truth. They are richer than plain vinegar pickles, which lets them be their own hors d'oeuvre, in a small chilled bowl, with olives perhaps alongside. They are deeper tasting and more eloquent than crudité. They are piquant enough to awaken the appetite without sating it. I love them, and they are very simple to make.

Featured in: The Miracle of Preserves

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Ingredients

Yield:About 8 servings

  • 1cup good olive oil
  • ½cup white-wine vinegar
  • ¼cup red-wine vinegar
  • 4tablespoons good white wine
  • 4cups water
  • teaspoons iodized salt
  • 1tablespoon coriander seeds
  • 1tablespoon fennel seeds
  • 3teaspoons brown sugar
  • 2whole dried chilies
  • 2whole bay leaves
  • 1teaspoon saffron threads
  • A few whole branches fresh thyme
  • 1medium onion, halved vertically, then sliced vertically
  • 2cups thinly, vertically cut fennel
  • 6cups quartered cauliflower or flavorful mushrooms, like trumpets, king oysters and creminis (separated by type)
  • 2cups thinly, diagonally cut celery

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

289 calories; 27 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 20 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 707 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Vegetables à la Grecque Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. In a pot, bring the liquids, spices and herbs to just below a boil.

  2. Step

    2

    Cook each vegetable, separated by type, in the seasoned liquid. Start with the onion, then fennel, then cauliflower or mushrooms, then celery. Cook each until it can be pierced with a knife and tastes delicious. As each batch is done, scoop it out with a slotted spoon or a hand-held sieve. Place on a cookie sheet to cool.

  3. Step

    3

    If spices or bits of herb stick to the vegetables, put what you can back in the pot and don’t worry about the rest — everything will marinate together, so things will redistribute. When all the vegetables are cooked, layer them in a 1-quart Mason jar — it looks nice if you do mushrooms, then onions and so on. Pour all of the cooking liquid over them, without straining. The olive oil in the liquid will rise to the top and create a seal.

  4. Step

    4

    Serve alone as an hors d’oeuvre, or as part of a salad, or on little buttered toasts. Or in an omelet. Or in a sandwich. Anywhere, really, but in a strawberry tart. Refrigerate for up to a month.

Ratings

5

out of 5

50

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

Brooke McGowen

How long does it have to marinate?

Margaret

Now, after making this tasty recipe, I believe it would be extremely unwise to process these vegetables in a water bath, in an attempt to "can" them for indefinite storage. While I didn't measure it, I am confident that the pH of the finished product is far too high (not acidic enough) to prevent the production of botulinum toxin under anaerobic conditions.

Tamar Adler

I'm sure the ratio is correct, but if yours didn't cover, I hope you added water and a bit more vinegar and adjusted seasoning accordingly, rather than let them shiver.

Yes, I used several jars.

Alicia

Since I can't follow a recipe, I shiftrf the proportions of oil and vinegar - tad less oil, tad more vinegar. I used Aleppo pepper instead of dried chilies. Also, I didn't have celery (what!?) on hand, so I used organic carrots. In any case, the recipe worked out wonderfully and filled two quart jars with veg and marinade. I used onion, fennel, cauliflower, and carrots. Even after one day of marinating this was delicious. I served them with freshly baked bread and they were popular!!

Tamar Adler

Hello. I used iodized salt because it is what I had. If you use kosher, it'll probably take a touch more, and you'll be able to tell easily by taste when you've gotten there.

Heather

You can leave them for a month, but they are good to go straight after cooking

April

So happy to find this recipe! I made it when it was published and loved!

susan

Is there a worthwhile substitute for the saffron? Or can it be omitted entirely without sacrificing flavor?

Clint

Question, Do I let the liquid cool first, or am I good to just pour the hot liquid over the veg? Don't want to end up with mush

Alicia

Since I can't follow a recipe, I shiftrf the proportions of oil and vinegar - tad less oil, tad more vinegar. I used Aleppo pepper instead of dried chilies. Also, I didn't have celery (what!?) on hand, so I used organic carrots. In any case, the recipe worked out wonderfully and filled two quart jars with veg and marinade. I used onion, fennel, cauliflower, and carrots. Even after one day of marinating this was delicious. I served them with freshly baked bread and they were popular!!

JR Baksdale

Are you sure the ratio of vegetables to liquid printed here is correct? I just made this and the liquid didn't cover the cauliflower, when cooking, and didn't come close to covering the finished vegetables. Neither was a 1 quart jar (even close to) big enough to hold it all - did you use several?

Tamar Adler

I'm sure the ratio is correct, but if yours didn't cover, I hope you added water and a bit more vinegar and adjusted seasoning accordingly, rather than let them shiver.

Yes, I used several jars.

inessa

why iodized salt in this case. I have not used it in YEARS. Only kosher or sea salt.

Tamar Adler

Hello. I used iodized salt because it is what I had. If you use kosher, it'll probably take a touch more, and you'll be able to tell easily by taste when you've gotten there.

Isabele

Do you need to put the jars to boil for 5-7 minutes afterwards as you would in canning?

Margaret

Not if you refrigerate and eat it within a month or so, as the recipe specifies. You should not expect to store this on a shelf at room temp. for a long period without proper canning in a hot water bath. (And I'm not sure how that would affect the texture!)

Margaret

Now, after making this tasty recipe, I believe it would be extremely unwise to process these vegetables in a water bath, in an attempt to "can" them for indefinite storage. While I didn't measure it, I am confident that the pH of the finished product is far too high (not acidic enough) to prevent the production of botulinum toxin under anaerobic conditions.

Tamar Adler

I'm with Margaret. They shouldn't be hot-water processed. These are much more like a sott'olio pickle. They will stay good in the refrigerator for at least a month. I admit, I just finished the first batch I made, for the column, which had a good deal longer than a month of age on them. I survived, and they were delicious.

Brooke McGowen

How long does it have to marinate?

Christine

it says a month

Heather

You can leave them for a month, but they are good to go straight after cooking

Amy

What's the answer??

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Vegetables à la Grecque Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What vegetables are used in Greek dishes? ›

What are typical vegetables used in Greek food? Tomatoes, bell peppers, olives, eggplant, zucchini, and cucumbers are all common vegetables found in Greece.

What does a la grecque mean in cooking? ›

(ˌɑləˈgrɛk ; French alaˈgʀɛk) in the Greek manner; specif., cooked in wine, olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, and spices, and usually served cold.

How to cook vegetables deliciously? ›

Roast, air fry, grill, or sauté them

Roasting veggies is incredibly easy (just throw them on a sheet pan, add some seasonings, and let them cook), and makes them browned, flavorful, and perfectly crispy. The air fryer is a fast way to "fry" your veggies to keep them healthy but crispy.

Do Greeks eat a lot of vegetables? ›

Heavy on the Veggies

Greek people, on the whole, eat very little meat and a lot of vegetables. When Greek dishes do include meat, it is typically lamb or seafood, though some dishes also involve rabbit. These meat choices are due to the fact that cattle are historically difficult to raise in the Grecian landscape.

What is the most eaten vegetable in France? ›

French eat many different types of vegetables, however, the most common are peas, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, beets, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, and cucumbers.

What is the most famous vegetable dish from France? ›

Ratatouille is a vegetable stew originating from Provence, a part of France on the Mediterranean coast known for its warm climate and excellent regional food. The most famous of all Provencal vegetable dishes though would have to be Ratatouille.

What are the three vegetables in French cooking? ›

Mirepoix consists of onions, carrots and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix is used in many dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. It is used either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter. Mirepoix is known as the holy trinity of French cooking.

How to make vegetables taste nice? ›

Using different seasonings can completely transform your plant-based cooking. Spices like chile powder, curry, smoked paprika, cinnamon, cumin, and black pepper can do wonders for vegetables. And never forget the most important seasoning: salt (just remember to add a little bit at a time and keep tasting).

How do restaurants make vegetables taste good? ›

Let's find out how they do it.
  1. Restaurants use good-quality vegetables. ...
  2. A lot more oil is used to flavor vegetables. ...
  3. Greens are blanched. ...
  4. Restaurants creatively combine salad veggies. ...
  5. A lot more salt is used to season vegetables. ...
  6. Restaurants add tasty seasonings to veggies. ...
  7. Vegetables are added to hot oil when roasted.
Jun 24, 2023

What does a traditional Greek meal consist of? ›

Typical foods in Greek Meze include sliced cucumbers, olives, fave beans, tomatoes, olives, phyllo dough wrapped meat, bekri meze (pork stewed in wine), sausages, fried or grilled fish, bean salads, tarmosalada (a spread made from roe of carp), peppers stuffed with Feta cheese or rice, pickled beets, spanakopita ( ...

What are the basic ingredients of Greek cuisine? ›

Dill weed, thyme, oregano and mint are Greek essentials that really add bold character to fish, meat or vegetables. What is this? Popular Greek ingredients includes olive oil, lamb, potatoes, an abundance of seafood.

What are 5 main foods the Greeks ate? ›

Since dinner was the most important meal, this is where most of the foods were consumed. At dinner, the Ancient Greeks would eat: eggs (from quail and hens), fish, legumes, olives, cheeses, breads, figs, and any vegetables they could grow and were in season.

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