— Get ready for Rosh Hashanah: Vegetables. ften, people take the quick and simple route to adding a few veg- gies to their meal: steamed green beans or roasted asparagus. And that's fine — it's appropriate to pair a mostly unadorned vegetable with more complicated dishes. Still, it's a pity to discount a vegetable just because it's an accompaniment, espe- cially when with minimal effort, one can enhance and elevate it and make it a wow-factor. Veggies don't always have to be green (though most of the ones in the following recipes are). Adding color in the form of red bell peppers, or serving red cabbage (which is actually purple) or multi-hued vegetable combina- tions, is downright fabulous. In fact, nutrition-wise, the more variety, the better. The following recipes are easy and interesting, even a bit exotic — and some are sweet as befits the holiday. FRENCH GREEN BEANS WITH PEPPERS, MUSHROOMS AND SEASONED ALMONDS Topping: 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 /3 cup slivered almonds Y2 tsp. salt 1 /2 tsp. paprika Y2 tsp. granulated garlic or garlic powder 1 /4 tsp. ground pepper 1 /8 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 /4 tsp. caraway seeds Vegetables: 1 lb. fresh French green beans (hari- cot vents), stem ends trimmed 3 Tbsp. olive oil or butter 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced 1 bell pepper, julienne cut (match- sticks) kosher salt and pepper to taste Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add almonds and spices, and stir to coat. Saute until the almonds are golden. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Place beans in a large saucepan or pot with 1/2-inch water, and bring to a boil. Cover, cook for 1 minute and remove the beans from the heat. Allow the beans to rest in the liquid. While the beans are resting, heat the 3 Tbsp. oil or butter in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, and saute until just soft- ened; about 3 minutes. Add the peppers, and cook for a few minutes more, stirring frequently. Drain the beans, transfer to a serving dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with the peppers and mush- rooms, and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve immediately (or reheat in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, cov- ered with plastic wrap). Makes 8 servings. ❑ Contact Annabel Cohen at annabelonthemenu@gmail.com . LEMON-ROASTED ASPARAGUS WITH FRESH CILANTRO 21/2-3 lbs. asparagus (thin aspara- gus prefer- able), tough bottoms trimmed 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice grated zest of 1 lemon kosher salt and pepper to taste 1 /2 cup fresh chopped cilantro Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If the asparagus is thick, use a vegetable peeler to peel the large bottom halves (to make the asparagus of uniform thickness). Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet with sides. Combine the oil, lemon and zest in a small bowl, and whisk well. Drizzle this mixture over the asparagus. Roast the asparagus for 10 minutes, and remove from the oven (don't worry if the aspara- gus does not look cooked; it will continue to cook as it cools). Transfer the aspara- gus into a large bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with cilan- tro. Toss well, and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings. EGGPLANT, RED PEPPER, ZUCCHINI AND CHEVRE- STUFFED ACORN SQUASH 3 1 1 -lb. acorn squashes, halved lengthwise, seeded 2 cups diced zuc- chini 1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 cup chopped onions 1 Tbsp. fresh chopped garlic 1 cup fresh chopped parsley 1 /4 cup olive oil 1 /4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 cup breadcrumbs kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste %-% cup crumbled Chevre, another soft goat cheese or Boursin cheese (optional) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a sharp knife to cut small slices from the bottoms of the cut squash so that they sit squarely in one or two large baking dishes. Cover the dish with foil, and bake the squash for 40 minutes, until the flesh is softened. Remove from oven to cool. Set aside. Combine the zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, onions, garlic and parsley in a large bowl. Add the oil and vinegar, and toss well. Place this mixture in a roasting pan, and roast, uncovered, for 1 hour, until the mixture is softened and cooked through. Stir in the breadcrumbs, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cut the squash halves in half again (to make 12 wedges), and arrange in a baking dish. Divide the zucchini mixture among the wedges (the filling will fall out of the wedges). Cover the baking dishes with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Dot the filling with the goat cheese, if using, and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve imme- diately. Makes 9-12 servings. SEA SALT AND BALSAMIC BROCCOLI 2 heads broccoli, stems trimmed and separated into florets (about 14 cups total florets) 1 /4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp. minced garlic fine sea salt to taste freshly ground black pepper 3 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Combine broccoli and oil, and toss well. Add garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and toss again. Arrange the broccoli in a single layer (as much as possible) on the prepared baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 15 min- utes. Serve hot or at room temperature, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Makes 8 servings. BRAISED SWEET AND SOUR RED CABBAGE 3 Tbsp. olive oil 2 lbs. red cabbage head, core removed, shredded or very thinly sliced 1 /2 cup water 1 /4 cup sugar %cup red wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste Heat the oil in a large pot over medi- um-high heat. Add the cabbage and water, and cook, stirring frequently until the cabbage is softened (it will lose much of its volume as it cooks down). Add the sugar and vinegar, and stir well. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook the cabbage for 20 minutes more, stirring occasion- ally. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. Makes 8 servings. All recipes © Annabel Cohen 2012; annabelonthemenu@gmail.com . 42 August 23 • 2012