Dans Hamptons

Although many food products are marketed as "light," such as light olive oil - not much flavor - light beer, ditto - and light pastas - there are plenty of calories in all of them. We're hardly becoming a nation of sylph's. Is the food media's attention to "eating healthy" come at the cost of taste? Definitely not! Taste is everywhere where freshness is - perky salad greens, colorful vegetables and homemade vinaigrettes eliminate the mega doses of sodium and sugar in commercial bottled dressings. Lean meat and fish always get a little help from a variety of herbs, spices, oils and vinegars. Carefully purchasing the best ingredients and keeping flavor and presentation in mind when cooking are key ingredients to enjoying a lifetime of healthy eating. What we want and what we aspire to eat is simply to "lighten up" - it's spring, after all.

Spring greens with a roasted garlic vinaigrette is a light, tasty and timely salad. A mix of classic vegetables, such as Napa cabbage, snow peas and mushrooms, cooked Thai style, makes for an adventurous stir-fry and zucchini, red onion and pancetta is simply an Italian dish that I find appealing. Showers may continue to fall, yet April hints of the rich green days to come. And this is cause for celebration.

Roast garlic an hour before using. Make extra - they'll keep!
Serves 4 - 6

4 - 6 cups fresh mixed greens, such as arugula, mache, radicchio, washed and spin-dried
For the vinaigrette
3 unpeeled cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 fat cloves garlic, sliced paper thin
Coarse (kosher) salt
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 - 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1. Place whole cloves in a foil packet and drizzle with one tablespoon olive oil. Enclose packet and roast in a 325 degree oven for 1 hour until cloves are tender. Squeeze the sweet pulp from skin when ready to use. If making extra cloves refrigerate in a suitable container.

2. Warm remaining oil in a small saucepan and add garlic slivers. Cook over medium-low heat until garlic is lightly golden and crisp, about 3-3 1/2 minutes. Drain garlic chips on paper towels and reserve oil. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.

3. Pour reserved oil in a small mixing bowl and when cool, add mustard and roast garlic pulp. Mash the garlic into the oil and mustard with a fork and slowly whisk in the red wine vinegar.

4. Dress salad greens with just enough vinaigrette to coat the leaves, Divide equally on salad plates and top with garlic chips for serving.

The nature of wok cooking is quick and requires all the ingredients to be prepped and measured out ahead of time.
Serves 4 with rice

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 pound napa cabbage cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1/4 pound snow peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 pound mushrooms, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon fermented soybean paste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a large wok or skillet with good heat conduction - not non-stick - over high heat. Add the oil and swirl gently to coat. When oil is hot and barely shimmers, toss in the garlic and stir-fry by turning the ingredients with two large spoons until it starts to turn golden. Add all the vegetables and stir-fry until they begin to soften, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the fish sauce, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soybean paste and stir-fry briefly to mix well, turn out onto warm plates. Season with black pepper and serve.

Pancetta, cured rather than smoked bacon, is important to Italian cooking. It is available in specialty markets in a rolled-up, salami-like form.
Serves 4-6

2 zucchini or summer squash
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 small red onion cut into tiny dice
2 ounces pancetta, sliced thin
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse (kosher) salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup water

1. Scrub zucchini and trim ends. Cut into slices about 1/4-inch thick then stack and cut into small dice. Prepare the garlic and red onion for cooking and set aside. Stack the slices of pancetta and with a sharp knife, cut into 1/4-inch wide strips then slice across the strips for small dice. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a non-stick 9 or 10-inch skillet. Put in the pancetta and saute until crisp, about 3-4 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for a couple of minutes until onion is translucent. Add the zucchini and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and several grinds of fresh pepper to taste. Add water and cover the pan. Simmer about 5 minutes more until zucchini is tender and water is evaporated. Taste to adjust seasoning if necessary. Can be prepared ahead and reheated before serving.