Artichokes at La Habitual
We are increasingly aware of the importance that feeding has for our health but, at the same time, we give more and more importance to enjoy the food , to go out to restaurants and let ourselves be carried away by their proposals.
It may seem that these two elements are doomed to collide but, despite that initial impression, more and more restaurants are betting on vegetables , for a greener kitchen that is not only lighter but, above all, gives prominence to ingredients that until now used to be relegated to secondary roles , to garnishes and accompaniments of meat and fish.
The vegetable cooking is gaining prominence and diversity. More and more chefs are betting on these ingredients, exploring their possibilities and even bringing new products to our diet giving vegetables the role of authentic gastronomic gems that corresponds to them.
Here, in the new Ponzano location, respect for everything that comes from the Earth is fundamental
We are not talking about restaurants that focus exclusively on the plant world but about cooks and projects that give fruits, vegetables and vegetables the importance that they deserve and that demonstrate, in this way, that a ** healthier, lighter restaurant kitchen, ** more attached to the season and more varied is possible and is destined to be one of the trends of the coming years . These are some of the protagonists of this green revolution:
** THE GREENHOUSE, MADRID **
As he himself defines it, the cuisine of Rodrigo of the Street it is a green haute cuisine. And this has been the guiding thread of his work, from that restaurant a few years ago in Aranjuez until a year ago he landed in Ponzano.
Seasonal dishes, changing, that they adapt to the offer of fruits and vegetables almost week by week and that can be tried, finishing with meat or fish respectively, in the Red and Blue restaurant menus . But if what you are looking for is the complete experience, accompanied by juices and fermented foods, don't miss out on their Vegetalia menu.
Rodrigo de la Calle, creating in El Invernadero
** CARABAÑA ORCHARD, MADRID **
If the most frequent are the restaurants that, when they have the opportunity, set up their own vegetable garden, in this case we have the reverse story: a farm that gives its name to a restaurant, a bistro and a gastrobar in the heart of Madrid , which he nourishes with seasonal vegetables.
They make a particular show of their tomatoes, which really taste like tomatoes, but any season is a good time to take a look at their menu, which is not limited exclusively to plant world, and try their grilled artichokes or grilled vegetables with octopus.
It is not limited to the vegetable world, but its grilled artichokes or its vegetables are worth a stop
**FLAX & KALE, BARCELONA**
This restaurant flexitarian from Barcelona designs its dishes according to their nutritional value as well as their gastronomic properties.
Its offer extends from breakfast to snack and from brunch to lunch or dinner, so it has something for every occasion, although always respecting a formula: 80% vegetable offer and 20% blue fish on the menu.
Some examples of his proposal are the Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad (roasted spiced carrots, avocado, green leaves, tofu, lemon and orange sauce), their spelled ravioli stuffed with carrot, sweet potato and pear and served with pumpkin sauce or the vegetarian version of panang curry.
** BUMP GREEN , MADRID **
Tomas Nofre, Adriana Nicolau and Ruben Vaquer They are at the forefront of a space that invites responsible gastronomic enjoyment, connected with seasonality and with small quality production in which vegetables rule, although they are never exclusively imposed.
Its offer has a large menu of salads, vegetable drinks and organic smoothies but it goes much further with specialties like its hamburger cachena cow (an indigenous Galician breed) with Cantagrullas farm cheese , raisined tomato, crispy onion and kimchi or the turkey “roast beef” with coconut and miso sauce, green leaves and mustard greens.
Celtic Gaul breast, with mustard, quinoa, sweet potato and Bump Green praline sauce
** RICARD CAMARENA, VALENCIA **
One of the great chefs of the moment in Spain is also one of the great defenders of the Valencian garden.
His work hand in hand with the producers fills his table throughout the year with spectacular products: tiny and tender artichokes, tear peas, flavorful green beans or tomatoes dull at its best for the entire season –be sure to try their tomato tarte tatin at their regular restaurant - They share prominence with ingredients traditionally considered more noble.
Ricard Camarena and his seasonal dishes
** THE JEWISH HOUSE, SANTANDER **
Chef Sergio Bastard has managed to turn this restaurant into one of the fundamental houses of new cuisine in Cantabria thanks, among other things, to a firm commitment to sea vegetables.
Algae and coastal plants become essential flavors in a kitchen with a personality marked and defined, to a large extent, by green and iodinated flavors : Pilpil cod tripe with codium seaweed and aptemia, glazed onions with coffee, thyme and oxalis or avocado with sprouts and cardamom ice cream are good examples.
Santander in a green key (but with sea vegetables)
** CULLER DE PAU, OR GROVE (PONTEVEDRA) **
Javier Olleros and his team redefine, in Or Grove , Galician cuisine from a perspective that is nourished by the most immediate orchards and coast.
Far from the clichés, although without giving up iconic products of Northwest cuisine, Culler de Pau constantly reinvents itself with recipes such as seaweed, turnip and shellfish soup, corvo millet (indigenous purple corn) with turbot roe and watercress or spinach in three broths : tomato, pork shoulder and kombu seaweed, one of those dishes that will go down in the history of Galician cuisine, if you ask me.
Harvesting in O Grove
** JOSÉ HOUSE, ARANJUEZ (MADRID) **
We just toured between the orchards of Aranjuez , from the hand of Ferdinand of the Hill , who has been defending for years in Joseph House a kitchen in which the roles are reversed and in which vegetables assume in many cases the leading role , relegating protein to the role of a garnish or even a simple fat that enhances the flavors of the dish.
If someone had doubts about whether it is possible to do new things with the vegetable cooking Proposals such as the jicama taco with guacamole and crispy arugula, the onion praline with cauliflower cream or the Brussels truffles make it clear that the answer has to be yes.
An ode to the orchard of Aranjuez