GOOD COOKING : The Secret to Easy Vegetables: It’s All in the Skillet

Some people think that cooking fresh vegetables requires culinary experience and time-involved preparation. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Now is the best time to discover the real truth about vegetables. The stores are brimming with summer’s bounty, and truly fresh vegetables need little embellishment to bring out their great flavor.

The microwave is not the ideal tool in which to quickly cook vegetables; a skillet, which can be just as fast, has other advantages. The wide base of a 12-inch non-stick skillet allows you to cook a large quantity of vegetables quickly over fairly high heat using little oil or butter. And skillet-cooking enhances and deepens every nuance of flavor. It also gives you instant control of the heat so the vegetables are not overcooked. This is not to mention the sensual satisfaction of being involved with the bright and lively vegetables as they cook under your watchful eye.

As with all fresh foods, it’s important to resist any impulse to overload on vegetables. Buy vegetables with the intention of cooking them as quickly as possible. Many cooks buy fresh vegetables on the weekends, prepare them at once and reheat them during the week; this is a task that the microwave performs with undeniable success.

To refrigerate fresh vegetables for a few days, keep them unwrapped in the produce drawer--or stored in paper bags (rather than plastic). Two big exceptions are greens and herbs, which do far better in plastic.

Here are three skillet vegetable recipes; each is flavorful, serves at least four people-- and cooks in less than 10 minutes. All can be served either hot or at room temperature. And each is so versatile that the slicing, shredding and dicing can be done ahead so that all that is left until the last minute is the cooking. Other vegetables can be cooked in similar fashion; just be sure to experiment with the best-quality vegetables you can find.

When corn is fresh, sweet and tender, it tastes great raw. In fact, that’s the ultimate test. For those who want their corn cooked, here’s a Southwestern recipe for corn cut off the cob and combined with jalapeno pepper, green onions and jicama in an unusually quick saute. The barely cooked jicama adds a sweet crunch. If you have left-over cooked corn, it can be substituted for the raw corn.

ALBUQUERQUE CORN

2 tablespoons safflower oil

2 cups corn, cut from 4 large ears

1/2 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced

10 ounces jicama, cut into 1/3-inch dice

8 large green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add corn and chile. Cook until hot, about 2 minutes, stirring often.

Add jicama, green onions, cumin and salt. Heat thoroughly, about 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Here, eggplant and mushrooms are treated Mediterranean-style with the robust flavors of garlic, onion, Kalamata olives, basil and cheese. Good-quality cheese gives the distinctive edge; Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese can be substituted for the pecorino Romano cheese, a sheep’s milk cheese with a sharper, saltier taste than the Parmesan.

MEDITERRANEAN EGGPLANT AND MUSHROOMS

1 large eggplant, unpeeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice

Salt

2 tablespoons light olive oil

1 (3-ounce) wedge red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

12 medium mushrooms, trimmed and cut in half

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 Kalamata olives, pitted

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup basil leaves, finely julienned

3 tablespoons ground pecorino Romano cheese

Red pepper flakes

Place eggplant in colander. Sprinkle with salt. Let drain 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water. Pat as dry as possible with paper towels.

Heat oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add onion, mushrooms and eggplant. Cook until eggplant is barely tender and lightly seared, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add vinegar, olives and garlic. Combine well. Cook 30 seconds. Add basil, cheese and salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Toss gently to combine. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 servings.

Carrots are one vegetable that is taken for granted; most people forget how much color, good taste and nutrition they contribute to a meal. Here they are simmered in orange juice and water, gently sweetened with maple syrup and spiced with nutmeg. Simply great . Because the butter is added at the conclusion of the cooking, a small amount imparts a significant buttery taste, a neat trick for those concerned about cholesterol and fat.

SPICED ORANGE CARROTS

2 cups water

1 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/2 pounds carrots, shredded

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Bring 1 3/4 cups water, orange juice, maple syrup and carrots to boil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Boil, covered, 3 minutes.

Uncover and boil, adding remaining water only as necessary, until carrots are tender, about 4 more minutes. There should be about 1 tablespoon liquid left in pan.

Add nutmeg, salt and butter, stirring until butter is melted. Adjust seasoning. Serve hot or at room temperature. Makes 4 to 6 servings.