Vegetables à la Grecque

Preparation

1. Step 1

   In a pot, bring the liquids, spices and herbs to just below a boil.

2. Step 2

   Cook each vegetable, separated by type, in the seasoned liquid. Start with the onion, then fennel, then cauliflower or mushrooms, then celery. Cook each until it can be pierced with a knife and tastes delicious. As each batch is done, scoop it out with a slotted spoon or a hand-held sieve. Place on a cookie sheet to cool.

3. Step 3

   If spices or bits of herb stick to the vegetables, put what you can back in the pot and don’t worry about the rest — everything will marinate together, so things will redistribute. When all the vegetables are cooked, layer them in a 1-quart Mason jar — it looks nice if you do mushrooms, then onions and so on. Pour all of the cooking liquid over them, without straining. The olive oil in the liquid will rise to the top and create a seal.

4. Step 4

   Serve alone as an hors d’oeuvre, or as part of a salad, or on little buttered toasts. Or in an omelet. Or in a sandwich. Anywhere, really, but in a strawberry tart. Refrigerate for up to a month.