Recipes: Side Dish

Side dish may be the most nebulous term on earth. What does it really mean? For many, ‘side dish’ means mashed potatoes and grey green beans or boiled rice and corn from a can. But does it really end there? Vegetables are an endless resource for side dish possibilities. Fresh green beans, just picked from the farm, steamed lightly with a splash of lemon juice and a turn from the peppermill are a vibrant side to just about anything. A quick sauté with olive oil and garlic transforms practically every vegetable into ‘side dish’ material.