This lovely, light vegetable dish is inspired by a conversation I had with Beetlebung Farm director Kate Woods, who also happens to be a great cook. For the most elegant presentation, serve the veggies atop a swath of the yogurt sauce.
As a bonus, you might have extra sauce, which you can use another night. Feel free to use any spring veggies here, as long as you cut or slice them into relatively thin or small pieces. You could also take this idea and add a few roasted chickpeas or a small amount of cooked, diced shrimp to make this a slightly heartier dish.
Serves 3 to 4
For the yogurt sauce:
- 2 cups Greek, full-fat yogurt
- 1 ½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill (or chives, tarragon, mint, chervil, parsley, or a combination) plus 8 small sprigs for garnish
For the vegetables:
- 4 to 6 teaspoons olive oil or neutral oil
- ½ cup thickly sliced (about 3/8-inch thick) spring onions or fat scallions cut into 3/4-inch pieces
- 3½ cups spring vegetables (snow peas or snap peas sliced on the bias, thinly sliced sprouting broccoli or broccolini, radishes or Japanese turnips cut into ½-inch wedges, asparagus sliced thinly on the bias)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
- 1/3 cup raw spring vegetables cut in small pieces (tiny radish dice, sprouting broccoli flowerets, or whole fresh peas)
- 3 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs fried in butter until golden-brown (optional)
1. Combine the yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, and herbs in a small bowl. Stir with a small silicone spatula until well combined.
2. In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet or stir-fry pan, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat. (Keep an eye on the pan). When the oil is hot, add the scallions or spring onions and a good pinch of salt and cook, stirring until all the pieces have some nice browning but aren’t completely limp, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate or small sheet pan to stop the cooking.
3. Add 2 more teaspoons oil, the 3½ cups of vegetables, and a ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until all of the vegetables are spotted with brown (add another teaspoon or two of oil to the pan if it looks dry) but still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and combine the vegetables with the scallions.
4. On three or four small salad plates, spread a generous amount of the yogurt mixture in a circle (leave a border) with the back of a spoon. (You will probably have extra to use another night.) Gently mound a portion of the vegetables on top of the yogurt on each plate, leaving a border of yogurt. (Note: you can also assemble the whole dish on one serving platter, but the individuals are nicer, I think.)
5. Garnish with the tiny raw vegetables, the fried breadcrumbs, if using, and a few herb sprigs.
