Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 71

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound asparagus, rough ends discarded

2 shallots, skins removed, chopped coa.r.s.ely

3 cloves garlic

1 cup walnuts

1 cups cooked navy beans, or 1 (15-ounce) can, drained and rinsed

cup loosely packed fresh tarragon, plus

2 tablespoons finely chopped

2 tablespoons cornstarch

teaspoon salt

teaspoon ground nutmeg

Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper

cup plain whole wheat bread crumbs

4 slices beefsteak or Holland tomato, or any really big tomato

PREHEAT A large skillet over medium-high heat. Cut the tips off four pieces of the asparagus and set aside for garnish. Slice the rest into -inch lengths.

Saute the asparagus (except for the reserved tips) in a tablespoon of the olive oil for about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While the asparagus is cooking, place the walnuts, the cup of tarragon, and the nutmeg, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse into crumbs, so that no whole walnuts are left.

Remove the asparagus from the pan and transfer to a shallow bowl to cool a bit. Saute the shallots in another tablespoon of the olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 3 more minutes, being careful not to burn it. Transfer the shallots and garlic to the asparagus and let cool for a few more minutes.

When the vegetables have stopped steaming, add them to the food processor. Pulse a few times and sc.r.a.pe down the sides. Add the beans and puree until relatively smooth, although the walnuts will still be grainy. Add the cornstarch (sift first, if very clumpy) and pulse until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to a bowl (use the bowl the veggies were cooling in, to cut down on dish duties), cover, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Roll out the pastry dough to fit an 8-inch gla.s.s pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.

Remove the baked crust from the oven. Spoon the asparagus filling into the crust and smooth out evenly. Sprinkle the top with half the bread crumbs and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then, place the tomato slices on top of the bread crumbs with an asparagus tip between each tomato. Sprinkle on the remaining bread crumbs, some freshly ground black pepper, a few pinches of salt, and the chopped tarragon. Drizzle again with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.

Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

EGGPLANT ROLLATINI WITH SPINACH AND TOASTED PINE NUTS.

MAKES 12 ROLLATINI, SERVES 4 TO 6.

TIME: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES.

In Brooklyn, people's worth is directly proportional to their ability to make an eggplant rollatini. If they can't perform, they are taken care of. While we're not going to kill you if you don't make this, we will be severely disappointed. This dish is so good it wins over nonvegans every time!

There are lots of little steps here but they are all pretty simple and this meal is worth it. It's not a weeknight dinner, more for company and special occasions when you want to be at the top of your vegan game. Since this can be a heavy meal if you are frying it, it's great to serve with steamed broccoli doused with the leftover marinara sauce. But if you wanna be real Brooklyn (and you do), make a double batch of sauce and serve with spaghetti. Two rollatini per person should get the job done.

Note that you aren't going to use all the eggplant. Since the skin can't be used here, you'll need to slice off two sides. Plus, there will likely be slices that are sacrificed because it is a little difficult to get them relatively uniformly thin. Save the sc.r.a.ps and use them in a soup or stew, or grill them and make a salad a day or two later.

Which brings us to the best way to evenly slice eggplant: First, use a large chef 's knife to cut off the top and bottom. Stand up the eggplant on the cutting board. Next, slice off one side (that slice won't be used, since it has a lot of skin). Then, still holding the eggplant upright, begin to slice off -inch-thick pieces, going as slowly as you need to.

3 large eggplants (a little over 3 pounds)

1 recipe (4 cups) Marinara Sauce or a variation of it (we love the olive variation here) (page 205)

1 recipe Tofu Ricotta (page 206)

12 large spinach leaves, washed very well and stemmed

Dipping mixture (before breading): 1 cup cold water

cup cornstarch

Breading mixture: 2 cups bread crumbs

1 teaspoon dried thyme

teaspoon dried oregano

teaspoon dried basil Optional: cup toasted pine nuts (we know they are expensive)

1 recipe Almesan (page 207)