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suggestions as to whether you will achieve the best results by steaming them, boiling them, or cover-cooking them in a braise.
    THE BLANCH/BOIL SYSTEM FOR GREEN VEGETABLES
    To blanch/boil a green vegetable, like green beans, you plunge them into a large pot of rapidly boiling water, bring back to the boil as fast as possible, and boil slowly for a few minutes, until the vegetable is just tender. The large amount of water—6 to 8 quarts for 2 pounds of beans, for instance—means that it will come quickly back to the boil, thus setting the color. If you are not serving them almost at once, drain immediately and run cold water into the kettle, again to preserve the color, and also the texture. Drain thoroughly, and the vegetables are ready to serve either hot or cold. Thus you can cook them several hours in advance. Note that salt proportions are 1½ teaspoons salt per quart of water, making 12 teaspoons (4 tablespoons or ¼ cup) for 8 quarts.
    BLANCH/BOIL VEGETABLE CHART
    • Vegetable: Asparagus (4 to 6 spears per serving)
    • Preparation: Trim ½ inch off tough ends and peel spears from butt to just below tip.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): Lay flat and boil uncovered 4 to 5 minutes, or until asparagus bends slightly. Remove and drain on a towel.
    • Finishing: Drizzle melted butter and/or fresh lemon juice over warm asparagus. Or serve with hollandaise . Or serve cold with vinaigrette .
    • Vegetable: Broccoli (1½ lbs, to serve 4 or 5)
    • Preparation: Cut off florets and peel stems. Peel central stalks to pale interior and cut in pieces.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): Boil uncovered 2 to 4 minutes, until tender with only a slight crunch remaining. Remove immediately. Broccoli cooks (and overcooks) so quickly I don’t recommend it be done in advance.
    • Finishing: Same suggestions as for asparagus plus:
1- Sprinkle on fresh bread crumbs , sautéed in butter.
2- Toss the broccoli in a sauté pan with olive oil and puréed garlic.
3- Prepare au gratin.
    • Vegetable: Brussels Sprouts (1½ lbs, to serve 4 or 5)
    • Preparation: Trim root ends, remove loose or discolored leaves; pierce a cross ¼ inch deep in root ends.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): Boil uncovered 4 to 5 minutes, until just tender when pierced. Drain. Refresh in cold water if not served at once.
    • Finishing:
1- Serve whole with melted butter, or cut in half and sauté in hot butter until slightly browned.
2- Prepare au gratin .
    • Vegetable: Green Beans (1½ lbs, to serve 4 or 5)
    • Preparation: For thin beans and haricots verts, snap off ends. For wide beans, “french” them by slicing diagonally into 1-inchstrips.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): Cook “frenched” beans 2 to 3 minutes, or whole beans 4 to 5 minutes, until just cooked through. Drain immediately; finish immediately or refresh under cold water.
    • Finishing:
1- Toss in a frying pan with butter, lemon juice, seasonings, and parsley.
2- Chill and toss with vinaigrette .
    • Vegetable: Spinach (3 lbs, to serve 4)
    • Preparation: Rinse in cold water, lift out, and repeat to remove sand. Pull stems from leaves.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): Boil uncovered until limp, 1 to 3 minutes, depending on maturity. Drain; refresh under cold water; drain; squeeze dry and chop by hand. (If young and tender, no need to boil, simply sauté in oil or butter.)
    • Finishing: Sauté briefly in butter or olive oil, with minced garlic. Or sauté, then add ½ to 1 cup stock or cream, and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cover and braise 5 to 7 minutes in butter and shallots, until tender.
    • Vegetable: Swiss Chard (10 stalks, to serve 6 to 8)
    • Preparation: Cut leaves from central white stalk. Cook leaves and stalks separately.
    • Cooking (In 6 to 8 quarts of salted water at a rapid boil): The stalk: Cut into