Broccoli Rising and Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité. The motto dates back to the French Revolution. The editor in me might change the word ‘fraternity’ to something more inclusive and contemporary — ‘solidarity’, maybe, or ‘community’ — but the values are timeless. We’re all in this together, we’re equal and we’re free. Happy Bastille Day.
So what’s the deal with Bastille Day? Here’s the backstory: France in the latter part of the 18th century was under the reign of Louis XVI. He and his wife, Marie Antoinette liked to live large. Nice for them, but it came at a cost to the French. Conditions at the time were a bad cocktail of:
tax burdens, especially those levied on the poor
soaring food costs and widespread food shortages
citizens denied political voice
citizens denied due process of the law
citizens rights being stripped away
In fact, you might see some similarities between France in 1789 and America now. I do. But, um, back to Bastille Day.
The Bastille itself was a Paris fortress designed to protect the city from invaders. On this day in 1789, it held seven prisoners and a whole lotta gunpowder. Thousands of protesters fed up with conditions in France, stormed the Bastille. They liberated the prisoners, helped themselves to gunpowder and other munitions, and sparked the French Revolution.
Revolutions, be they French, American or Haitian, are not easy. Liberté, égalité, fraternité are hard-won and precious. So much so, the French honor those ideals by declaring Bastille Day a national holiday.
Celebrate it here. Break out the fireworks, sing La Marseillaise, read Charles Dickens’s A Tale of Two Cities, which is among the classic works of literature the State of Florida has taken. Embrace liberté, égalité, fraternité.
In the spirit of lberté, égalité, fraternité, I’m pleased to share this luscious French lentil salad recipe from Leslie Brenner, two-time James Beard Award-winning food writer and the force of nature behind the Substack Cooks Without Borders (ahem, subscribe). It’s a delicious, exclusive sneak peek from her upcoming e-book, Fabulous French Recipes from Cooks Without Borders. There are a dozen varieties of lentils, and they’re all wonderful, but Bastille Day calls for French green lentils, also known as lentilles du Puy. They’re stylish and speckled and hold their shape when cooked. You’d expect no less from the French.
Here are two more vegan French recipes for summer when it sizzles:
Ratatouille is what summer tastes like. It’s a genius dish that makes the most of seasonal produce. Visit your farmer’s market for a haul of summer’s greatest hits
firm eggplant, with its polished skin
verdant, vibrant zucchini, sweet, shapely pepper
red ripe tomatoes
Fresh, pungent onions and garlic are also in the mix, too. Sometimes I throw in fresh chopped fennel or a few mushrooms if I’ve got ‘em. They add another earthy element to a symphony of flavors.
Slow-cooked, ratatouille can be stewy, silky and decadently oily, with the vegetables diced small and all but vanishing into a happy sort of sludge. Or you can do it my way, so the ratatouille is gutsier, more about texture, with chunkier vegetables taking center stage. The whole thing is delicious and can be prepared in under half an hour. It’s a pot of joy served warm, room temperature, or lightly chilled.
Chill sounding good to you? With record heat everywhere, spending time in the kitchen may not have much appeal. Tapenade to the rescue. This oomphy olive-based spread is bright and briny and blitzes together in a hot minute. Some traditional recipes also contain anchovies to add saltiness and fishiness. Capers do the job admirably and keep things plant-based.
Capers are berries from a hearty shrub. They’re picked when they’re tight little buds, then preserved in salt or brine. A scattering of capers imparts a natural, plant-based, fish-free flavor of the sea. Botanically speaking, though, capers are fruit. So are olives. But, um, back to tapenade.
Serve tapenade with crackers or bread, enjoy as a condiment in sandwiches and salads, toss it into pasta, serve with raw or roasted vegetables. It’s French as anything.
French lentil salad, ratatouille, and tapenade, along with crusty artisanal whole wheat bread and a green salad, make for a chic, French graze-y summer meal. Champagne is never a bad idea.
Happy Bastille Day. Vive la France.
July 27 — Join me for Plate With Plants!
Another French term — charcuterie — usually refers to cured meats. Take it a step further with my vegan charcuterie workshop at Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Space is limited, so register now.
ICYMI Big Miami Vegan thanks to Rancho Gordo for including my Miami Vegan recipe for Fireworks Black Bean and Mango Salad in their Salad of the Day series.
Get your copy of Miami Vegan: Plant-Based Recipes from the Tropics to Your Table at your favorite local indie bookstore, or online at PETA, IndieBound, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Walmart.
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