Mini vegetables

MANY everyday vegetables suddenly transform into something special when you present them in a mini variant. They are trendy, small and very appetising.

Mini-vegetables became popular in France 20 years ago, where they were discovered in upscale cuisine as a so-called garnish for numerous dishes. But as is the case with specialities: they come at a price. A kilo of miniature aubergines costs about three times as much as their big sisters.

There are also smaller versions of fruit being cultivated. There is hardly a fruit that is as unwieldy as a watermelon, for example – plus it’s difficult to get them into a refrigerator. The Japanese therefore developed a square fruit that can be stored easily. The melons are grown in boxes and take the shape of the container.

Although cube melons were originally created with practicality in mind, the cost is prohibitive. The cube shape of the watermelon can only be achieved at the expense of its contents. To retain the proper shape, cube melons must be harvested before they are ripe, rendering them inedible. Since the advent of the cube watermelon, other watermelon shapes have been introduced, such as hearts and pyramids. They are also available in other countries now, such as in Germany.

Now the cultivation of mini vegetables is heading in a different direction: In times of obesity everywhere, they are now being marketed as a healthy snack. For example, baby carrots, with a few hundred grams costing more than a kilo!

Many supermarkets now sell healthy snacks made of fruits or vegetables – a trend that commenced in Japan. The majority are produced in Tudela, Navarra, where they have been experimenting with mini vegetables imported from France for a long time: green and red peppers, aubergines, cauliflower and carrots. Currently, 20 different varieties are being cultivated including artichokes, leeks, lettuce hearts, onions, among others.

The minis

■ Mini aubergines. They come in all sizes and their colour can range from dark brown to white and are ideal to stuff with other ingredients. But in all other respects they are exactly like the large aubergine with their wonderful, glossy purple skin. The flesh of the mini aubergine is soft and juicy. The great advantage of aubergines is their neutral flavour that is an excellent carrier of the flavours of other ingredients.

■ Sweet mini peppers are crunchy, bright, and much sweeter than bell peppers. And no matter how you cook them, they’re pretty addictive. Red, green, yellow - they come in all colours and can be harvested and eaten before they are ripe. ■ Baby artichokes are a smaller and fully mature version of the traditional artichoke. Baby artichokes availability can vary throughout the year, with the spring season being the traditional peak season for this size artichoke.

■ The Derio Dwarf chard grows in the Basque country. It is a native variety highly valued by Basque farmers for many centuries. The leaves are yellowish and wide. It has a sweet taste with a touch of bitterness and distinctive character. It is very smooth to the palate with an al dente texture. The vegetable is cooked for eating and the stalks are fried or used for vegetable soup and salads, often appreciated by top chefs.

■ Baby courgettes are the same species as courgettes, merely picked at an earlier stage of growth. The flesh is more tender and the flavour is milder than the larger variety.

■ Pepquino baby cucumber from Koppert Cress, who specialise in micro vegetables: This three-centimetre curious mixture of cucumber and melon is refreshing and more reminiscent of melon than cucumber is a very old species, hence its precise origin is difficult to determine. Research shows that this 'micro-cucumber' (which is actually closer to its cousin the melon) originated in South America. ■ Brussels sprouts are one of the best-known and most common mini-vegetables. There are standard types and hybrids. The origin of the Brussels cabbage, can be found in the 18th century near Brussels.

■ Cherry or cocktail tomatoes are one of the most widespread mini vegetables – and Spain is one of the biggest producers although they are mostly consumed outside the country.

Will the dwarf vegetable survive, or is it just a fad? Where it could establish itself permanently would be with balcony gardeners. The minis don't need much space and grow well in boxes and tubs.

Pasta with cherry tomatoes

500gr sweet cherry tomatoes (tomates cherry), 250 g short pasta like penne is best, breadcrumbs (pan rallado), Parmesan cheese (queso parmesano), olive oil, salt, pepper.

Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in an oiled dish with the cut side facing up. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with grated white bread and parmesan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in a hot oven at 220 degrees for 20 minutes (add a little pasta water if necessary).

Meanwhile, boil the pasta. Or: Cook the pasta until it is almost done, leaving about two minutes to go. Mix with a knob of butter and cook in the oven. Anchovies preserved in quality olive oil would be a great addition.

Stir-fried beef with mini vegetables

For 4 people: 3 spring onions (cebollas tiernas), 200 g mini vegetables, e.g. carrots (zanahorias), sugar snaps (tirabeques), maize (maíz), 2 cloves of garlic (dientes de ajo), 4 red peppers (guindillas), 400 g fillet of beef or beef shank (solomillo or filete de ternera), peanut oil for frying (aceite de cacahuete), 1 tablespoon cornflour (maizena), 150 ml cold meat stock (caldo de carne), 5 tbsps oyster sauce (oyster sauce or salsa de ostras) 2 tbsp. soy sauce (salsa de soja), salt and pepper

Cut the spring onions into rings and set aside for the garnish. Chop the onions and mini-vegetables, slice the garlic. Remove seeds from peppers and cut into rings. Cut the beef into strips.

Heat a little oil in a wide pan or wok. Stir-fry the meat in portions. Remove and set aside. Sauté the vegetables in the drippings over medium heat for about five minutes. Dissolve the starch in the stock and add. the oyster sauce and soy sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Add the meat and let it heat up again. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle onion greens on top and serve immediately. Serve with rice.

Beef with baby vegetables

For 4 pers.: 4 slices of quality beef of 250 g each (e.g. filetes de ternera), 1 artichoke (alcachofa), 4 baby carrots (zanahorias baby), 4 mini red peppers (pimientos rojos baby), 4 mini aubergines (miniberenjenas), 4 mini courgettes (minicalabacines), 1/4 l meat stock (caldo de carne), 1 small onion (cebolla), 15 g finely diced Iberian ham (jamón ibérico picado), 1 clove of garlic (ajo), 50 ml olive oil (aceite de oliva)

Wash, peel and cut the vegetables into quarters. In a saucepan, fry the onion, garlic and ham in olive oil until they take on colour. Pour in the meat stock. Add the artichokes and carrots, cover and simmer on a low heat for three minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and simmer for another ten minutes. Salt and leave to rest for an hour. Take the meat out of the fridge an hour beforehand to temper and parcel it, using only the core. Put a drop of olive oil in a very hot pan and fry the meat, seasoned with salt and pepper, over a medium heat for two minutes on each side. Remove and place in a 100-degree oven for five minutes.

In the meantime, bring the vegetables to the boil. Pour the vegetables with a little sauce into the plates. Place the meat on top. Garnish with the greens of the carrots.

Roasted mini peppers

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this tasty side dish.

For two people. 250 g mini peppers. It's fun to use different colours. Olive oil or avocado oil. Salt and black pepper. Garlic power and dried oregano although you can experiment with other spices and herbs. Finely grated Parmesan, careful that it’s not coarsely shredded.

First cut the peppers in half lengthwise. Place them in a large bowl and toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, oregano, and Parmesan.

Now, arrange them in a single layer on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes in the oven at a temperature of 205C and then serve.