Eating In: Vegetate's Curried Squash and Collards
This week we were intrigued by the idea of a restaurant that is entirely dedicated to serving only seasonal vegetarian dishes. Furthermore, one that supports local farmers and it is not outrageously priced. Nestled in a three-story house in the Shaw neighborhood of NW, there is such a place owned by Dominic and Jennifer Redd: Vegetate. The no-meat eatery opened its doors in October 2005, without a license to sell alcohol; after much turmoil, they have only recently obtained one. But they are now running a full bar on the second floor, near the DJ stand. In addition to the bar they have composed a simple wine list that is complementary to the menu. What we loved about this place was the simplicity of it all; simple décor, simple ingredients, and a simple wine list presented in an unpretentious way.
The menu is comprised of 5-6 small plates, 4-5 large plates, and 3-4 desserts that change, usually, on a weekly basis. At times this can prove to be a difficult task when using only local, seasonal ingredients (especially in the winter months), but the dishes we had left us nothing but extremely satisfied. One of our favorite items was the curried winter squash with black beans, corn grits and collard greens. We were impressed by the way the collard greens were prepared. They only received a quick sauté, which left them a vibrant green color, with a lot of flavor and a little crunch. This was a nice change to the usual braised collard greens with bacon. The main part of the dish was a delicious combination of corn grits, smoky black beans, and curried butternut squash that even a meat-eater could enjoy.
We’ve re-created the dish and must tell you that although it appears like a lot of steps, many can be done ahead of time. The effort is certainly worth the results. And if you don’t tell your meat-eating friends that it is vegan, they’ll never know!
Shopping List:
2 bunches (about 2 pounds) collard greens
1 medium butternut squash
2 medium onions
1 head garlic
1 qt. vegetable broth
Rice wine vinegar
Curry powder
Paprika
White miso
Grapeseed oil
12 oz. dried black beans (soak one day ahead)
1 small bag of medium ground corn grits
4 large, oven-safe metal molds (or cookie-cutters)
Recipes:
Corn Grits
Total Prep Time: 1 hr.
1. In a medium size pot, simmer 1 cup grits, 1 tsp. salt, ½ tsp. ground black pepper, and 4 cups of water for about 50 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to avoid scorching the bottom of the grits. If the liquid is absorbed before the grits are finished cooking (they should have a soft texture), add another cup of water to soften them.
2. Lightly coat the bottom of a baking pan, one large enough to cut out 4 of your molds, and pour the grits into it. Place in the refrigerator to cool and harden.
3. Once cool, cut out your 4 portions, leaving the grits in the bottom of the mold. Place all four on a baking tray.
Black Bean Puree
Total Prep Time: 2 hrs. (This can be done while the grits are cooking and cooling)
1. Beans should be soaked one day ahead. If you forget, just simmer them for about 1 hour. Strain the beans and reserve the liquid.
2. Medium dice 1 onion.
3. Heat a 4-quart pot to a medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp. of grapeseed oil. Once the oil is heated add the onion and cook until slightly translucent. Add about ½ tsp. of salt and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper. Add the beans, 2 cups of vegetable broth and 2 cups of the reserved bean water. Bring to a boil and cover. Reduce heat and simmer about 1 ½ hours or until beans are tender.
4. Strain out the liquid and puree beans in a food processor or blender, adding some of the reserved bean liquid if necessary, until the beans form a paste. After this you will no longer need the reserved bean liquid.
5. Heat a medium sauté pan to a medium-high heat and stir 2 tbsp. of paprika until it turns slightly brown (be sure to constantly stir so that it does not burn). Add bean puree and 1 tbsp grapeseed oil and stir for 1-2 mins (essentially “re-frying” the beans).
6. Layer the bean puree, about 1/3” thickness, into each of the molds.
Collard Greens
Total Prep Time: 5 mins.
1. For the cooking broth: Heat ½ cup of vegetable broth and whisk in 1/2tsp of white miso until it dissolves. Set aside.
2. Trim out the stems from all of the leaves of the collard greens. Pile the leaves on top of each other, roll them up and cut into ½” ribbons. Set aside.
3. Chop 3 cloves of garlic and half of one onion. Set aside.
Finishing:
Butternut Squash
Total Prep Time: 25 mins.
1. Peel and dice the butternut squash. Place in a medium size pot with 2 cups of vegetable broth, 1 tbsp. curry powder, ¼ tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the squash is soft.
2. At this time place the ring molds into a 350 degree oven to heat up the grits and beans.
3. Puree the squash in a food processor or blender until smooth. Remove the molds from the oven and spread the squash into each of your molds, filling them to the top.
4. Heat a large sauté pan to a medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tbsp. of grapeseed oil and sauté your garlic and chopped onion, for about 1 min. Add about ½ tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper. Add the collard greens, ¼ cup of rice vinegar and about half of the miso-vegetable broth. Stir until the greens are slightly wilted (no more than 1 minute).
5. Carefully place each mold onto your plates and remove the metal mold. Serve the collard greens next to the layered grits, beans, and squash.