If you will excuse the pun, there are always new products sprouting up in the markets and supermarkets.
Recently we noticed a new range of shoots and sprouts: radish, rocket, watercress, chervil, sorrel, chives, …
They aren’t inexpensive, but they do look terrific. Great for garnishes. And depending on how many you have, you can add them to a salad.
Carpaccio of Shaved Vegetables
Fee and Me was a Launceston institution for many years. In a beautiful colonial building, it was one of the most creative and interesting restaurants in Australian for a decade or two. However, like many good things, it came to an end, in 2009. See: Fee and Me closes.
Its menu was divided into five sections, nicely explained here: Fee and Me – Menu
We had some lovely experiences there – not just because of the food and wine, but because of the ambience, the decor, the service and that it was such a great place to catch up with family and friends.
A dish that I remember fondly was their carpaccio of vegetables: finely shaved vegetables lightly layered around a plate and dressed very simply. Do we remember wafer thin slices of radish, zucchini, baby beetroot, tomatoes, …? Perhaps also consider finely shaved kohlrabi, celeriac or fennel.
Here is a photo of our version, except with garnish! Serve it on a large share plate or make individual serves. You can lightly rub the surface of each plate with a cut clove of garlic. Layer around your choice of vegetables, finely sliced. Sprinkle over some lovely olive oil and vinegar and/or lemon juice (using say three parts oil to vinegar/lemon). Salt and pepper.
Serve as is, ungarnished, if you wish as it should look spectacular.
Otherwise, garnish with the shoots and sprouts you have on hand. Don’t dress the shoots or sprouts as they may wilt and collapse quickly: they will soon soak up the dressing underneath when you start to eat or serve.
