A book of 'Plenty More' appreciation of veggies

If there was a vegetarian cookbook of the decade, it would have to be Plenty, Yotam Ottolenghi's 2011 international bestseller, which has helped introduce scores of home cooks to the glories of za'atar, pomegranate molasses, preserved lemons, and other formerly esoteric Middle Eastern ingredients.

At the same time, it proved to any doubters that vegetarian cuisine can be wonderfully vibrant and exciting.

Ottolenghi, 45, is a wildly successful London chef-restaurateur with a column in the Guardian that for years focused on vegetarian cooking.

But he isn't a vegetarian. He's an Israeli-born omnivore with a lifelong appreciation of vegetables who brings his infectious curiosity and unerring palate to the subject of plant-based cooking.

The author of two bestselling books (Ottolenghi and Jerusalem) with his Palestinian business partner, Sami Tamimi, he's back to meat-free dishes with Plenty More (Ten Speed Press).

The new book is arranged by cooking technique (chapters have titles such as "Tossed," "Grilled," "Roasted," and "Mashed"). After trying, and loving, several recipes, I talked with Ottolenghi by telephone. Edited excerpts of our conversation follow.

Q. How do you think differently about cooking vegetables from cooking meat?

A. Vegetables need a little bit more help than meat, I find. So I focus on things like char-grilling or roasting, which intensifies the flavor or adds a little smoky aroma, and marinating, leaving something in the marinade for quite a while. Those offer an extra dimension of flavor to vegetables.

What is key to me are the cooking techniques. There's a kind of common knowledge about what it means to cook meat well: Prime cuts cook very quickly, cheap cuts cook longer. That doesn't necessarily get applied to vegetables, and that's what I'm trying to do here. If you take brussels sprouts or cauliflower and you roast them or grill them or marinate or serve them raw and shred them, these are ways of achieving very, very different things.

Why do you think "Plenty" struck such a chord?

One reason is that the vegetables are put in a context where they can really make a statement. The other reason is that I use a set of Middle Eastern ingredients that I grew up with that are absolutely fantastic and were bound to be discovered anyway, and I implemented them in a modern context. I was in the right place at the right time. Tahini, for example, is such a key ingredient in Middle Eastern cooking, and five to 10 years ago most people didn't know about it and didn't cook with it. But to me, it's almost as important in cooking as olive oil.

What are your new favorite ingredients, things you think might catch on next?

One of them is black garlic. I don't know how common it is in North America, but in London it's become quite in vogue, and you can get it in lots of shops. I've been using it a lot in marinades and dressings. It's extremely wonderful, with an anise-y, cocoa-y, molasses flavor. I think that will catch on.

Another ingredient that's even more esoteric is kashk, dried and rehydrated fermented yogurt. It's very effective, again, in infusing vegetables with umami flavor. It's absolutely fantastic.

Do you ever feel pressure to develop vegan recipes?

I used to never try to make food vegan as such, but I'm more aware that people want vegan food because I'm told. So now I try. There are quite a few vegan recipes in Plenty More, and ever since the publication, I've started with my Guardian column to include more and more vegan recipes. I'm trying to keep the flavor profile high and wonderful. When you draw away the possibility of using dairy, you lose the possibility of those tremendous flavors, like mature cheeses. I struggle sometimes, but I recently developed a recipe for a fantastic soup for the winter with freekeh, butter beans, ancho chili, and a bouquet garni the size of a football.

Has your cooking changed now that you're a father?

Not so much, because what we've tried to do with our boy, from the time he started eating solids, was to just give him what we ate, really, maybe without salt and sugar. Max doesn't eat everything, but he likes quite a lot of things. I think the first thing he had was roasted butternut squash with tahini and za'atar from Jerusalem. He was 8 months old, and he loved it. It was pretty impressive.

Makes 6 servings

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1 large butternut squash (3 pounds)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

13/4 ounces cilantro, leaves and stems, plus more leaves for garnish

1 small clove garlic, crushed

21/2 tablespoons hulled pumpkin seeds

1 cup regular or low-fat plain Greek yogurt

11/2 teaspoons Sriracha (may substitute another savory chili sauce), plus more as needed

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1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Have two rimmed baking sheets at hand.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Discard the seeds, then cut the flesh into wedges 3/4 inch wide and about 23/4 inches long, leaving the skin on. Place in a large bowl with the cinnamon, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Mix well so the squash is evenly coated.

3. Place the squash pieces on the baking sheets skin side down and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until soft and starting to color on top. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

4. To make the herb paste, combine the cilantro, garlic, the remaining 4 tablespoons of oil, and a generous pinch of salt in a mini food processor; puree to form a smooth paste.

5. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and roast for 6 to 8 minutes. Their outer skins will pop open, and the seeds will become light and crispy. Let them cool.

6. To serve, swirl together the yogurt and Sriracha sauce. Lay the squash wedges on a platter and drizzle the spicy yogurt sauce, then the herb paste, over the top. (Or swirl the yogurt sauce and herb paste together if you like.) Scatter the pumpkin seeds on top, followed by the extra cilantro leaves and additional Sriracha, if desired, and serve.

Per serving: 300 calories; 9 grams protein; 34 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams sugar; 17 grams fat; no cholesterol; 310 milligrams sodium; 6 grams dietary fiber.

Makes 4 servings

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8 small leeks, white parts only (see note)

2 bay leaves

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Scant 1 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup water, or more as needed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 small red onion, finely chopped

Scant 21/2 tablespoons dried currants

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar, preferably superfine

2 tablespoons sunflower oil or other vegetable oil of your choice

31/2 ounces creamy goat cheese

1 tablespoon whole or torn chervil or flat-leaf parsley leaves

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1. Cut the leeks crosswise into segments, each about 4 inches long, and rinse well to dislodge any grit.

2. Arrange the leeks in a single layer in a large, shallow skillet or saute pan; add the bay leaves, garlic, wine, olive oil, and the water, or more of the last as needed so the leeks are half-submerged in liquid. Add 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Place over medium heat; cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, until a knife can be inserted into the leeks without resistance. Turn the leeks once or twice during this time so they cook evenly. Use a slotted spatula to transfer the leeks to a plate.

3. Strain the remaining cooking liquid into a small saucepan, discarding the solids; reduce over high heat to a total of 3 tablespoons. This should take 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat.

4. Add the onion, currants, vinegar, sugar, and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and season lightly with black pepper. Let the mixture sit to soften and marinate while you saute the softened leeks.

5. Heat the sunflower or other oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Carefully add the leeks and saute for 2 minutes on all sides, until lightly golden. Transfer to a plate to cool.

6. To serve, divide the leeks among individual plates. Dot with the cheese, spoon the onion-and-currant dressing over the top, and garnish with the chervil or parsley leaves.

Note: Use long, relatively thin leeks if you can find them; otherwise, just halve their numbers.

Per serving: 320 calories; 6 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 11 grams sugar; 19 grams fat; 10 milligrams cholesterol; 470 milligrams sodium; 2 grams dietary fiber.EndText

Makes 4-6 servings

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1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, plus extra for brushing

2 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch slices (11/2 pounds total)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

5 ounces feta cheese, crumbled into large chunks

5 ounces cream cheese

3 large eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup grape tomatoes, each cut in half lengthwise

1/3 cup oregano leaves, coarsely chopped

11/2 teaspoons za'atar

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1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the base and sides of a deep 71/2-inch-square baking pan (or an 8-inch round baking pan) with aluminum foil, making the pieces large enough so at least 2 inches hangs over each of the four sides, and brush with a little oil.

2. Lay the eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Roast for 40 minutes, until eggplant slices are soft and golden. Set aside to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Combine the feta, cream cheese, eggs, cream, and some black pepper in a bowl and beat with a hand-held mixer until smooth and thick. It might take several minutes to eliminate all the lumps from the feta.

4. Arrange the eggplant slices in the prepared baking pan, overlapping them if necessary. Add the tomatoes, using them to fill any gaps, and sprinkle with half of the oregano.

5. Pour the cream mixture into the pan, sprinkle with the remaining oregano and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custard sets and turns golden. Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.

6. Remove the cake from the pan and cut into 4 squares (or into wedges, if using a round dish). Mix the za'atar with the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil, brush this gently over the top and sides of the cake, and serve.

- Adapted from Plenty More: Vibrant Vegetable Cooking From London's Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottolenghi (Ten Speed Press, 2014)

Per serving (based on 6): 340 calories; 10 grams protein; 10 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams sugar; 29 grams fat; 155 milligrams cholesterol; 460 milligrams sodium; 4 grams dietary fiber.EndText