Conquering the food pyramid

Five portions of vegetables per day? No problem! Take that, food pyramid! We are currently acing this vegetarian lark! Child number three, whilst not committed to being vegetarian after the end of January (burgers are the sticking point - he may love them more than me, if the truth be told, sob sob) seems to be enjoying eating more vegetarian food, and does want to continue to do so after next week. The challenge for me, is finding vegetarian dishes that are rich and flavorful enough to satisfy our palates. We love rich sauces and deep flavors, and whilst those are easy to achieve with a slow-cooked piece of meat in the mix, they are harder to achieve with vegetables alone. We therefore often rely upon cheese to add that flavor hit that we crave. That is all well and good, and there is no risk of any of us going vegan, but I am always on the look out for recipes for veggie dishes that don't rely on a sprinkling of cheddar of grating of gruyere. The dish below fits the bill (although, full disclosure, it does benefit from a lovely dollop of spiced yoghurt on the top, so is not diary-free unless you skip that addition).

The book from which this recipe originates is a new acquisition (yes the cookbook addiction lives on). The book is Les Legumes: Vegetable Recipes from the Market Table by Pascale Beale. My favorite cookbooks are those which not only contain fabulous (and approachable rather than overly complicated) recipes in their pages, but also those with the kind of photography that turns a plate of food into food porn. This one definitely fits that bill, and I foresee many happy evenings flipping through the pages, dribbling in anticipation. It's also organized by type of vegetable, so when I pick up my veggie bag from the farm, or when I see what is in season, I can then flip to the right section and plan the week's foodie indulgences accordingly. I did tweak a fair amount here but was very happy with the results, and definitely felt confident that we had more than satisfied the food pyramid (and our bellies and taste buds) by the end of the meal.

Vegetable Tagine with Za'atar
Serves 5

For the Za'atar:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 tsp sumac
1 tsp sesame seeds

For the tagine:
1 red onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
3 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and cut into 1/2" rounds
4-5 green onions/spring onions/scallions, cut into 1/2" pieces
4 shallots, peeled and cut into thick slices
12 oz asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch chard, stops removed and leaves thinly sliced
1lb green beans, cut into 1" lengths
1/3 cup golden raisins/sultanas
3 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp sumac

For the yoghurt:
2 cups Greek yoghurt (I used fat-free)
2 preserved lemons, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp curry powder

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
2. Combine the ingredients for the fresh Za'atar.
3. Combine the red onion, leeks, green onions and shallots on a large baking tray and toss with the Za'atar and some salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, by which time they should all be soft and starting to brown.
4. Place the roasted vegetables (and any juices in the baking tray) in a large dutch oven and stir in the asparagus, green beans, chard and golden raisins. Add the vegetable stock and remaining 1 tsp sumac and bring to the boil. Cook over a lower heat, gently bubbling for ten minutes. If the mixture seems too dry, then add a little more stock, and cook with the lid on, to prevent any more evaporation.
5. In a bowl, mix together the ingredients for the yoghurt topping.
6. Serve the tagine over couscous or quinoa with a dollop of yoghurt on top.