June is the apex of the spring harvest, hurtling us straight into the bonanza of refreshing summer vegetables, and timed to collide perfectly with grilling season. Are summer squashes and cukes ready yet? Not quite, but there’s chayote to play with. Kale is abundant in the garden, as are carrots. And peppers are the perfect seasonal bridge.
There may be no one better to reconceive traditional preparation of vegetables than chef Davin Waite, co-owner with wife Jessica of plant-based restaurant The Plot in Oceanside, along with Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub. The couple opened The Plot in January 2020, surviving COVID lockdowns and have expanded to Carlsbad and Costa Mesa.
The Plot in Oceanside is surrounded by its own little urban farm. There’s an entire garden space behind the restaurant filled with rows of raised beds and along fences, but the Waites also have raised beds in what was a parking lot near the entrance. Various types of kale are maturing, along with herbs, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, strawberries — basically whatever you’d find in the produce section of your local organic market.
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The Plot co-owner Davin Waite points out some of the many vegetables grown outside the restaurant he runs with his wife, Jessica Waite, including kale, zucchini, cucumbers and peppers. He is also a renowned sushi chef at The Wrench and Rodent Seabasstropub in Oceanside.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Waite has raised beds filled with vegetables and herbs in the garden on premises at The Plot that can go straight into the restaurant kitchen.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
When I asked Waite to offer some ideas for transitioning from spring to summer, he had some thoughts. One of them was to focus on vegetables that would allow home cooks to avoid waste. Carrots and kale both filled the bill. And he wanted to show off chayote, one of those cool versatile fruit/vegetables that people just don’t know much about. So they went on the menu, too.
While Waite has had a long career and developed a reputation for his prowess in preparing seafood, especially sushi, he loves working with vegetables.
“Wrench is known for fish, but vegetables have always played a strong supporting role,” he explained. “I think it’s one of the most honest forms of cooking. You can’t hide your mistakes behind bacon fat.
Proprietors Davin and Jessica Waite, co-owners of The Plot restaurant in Oceanside, grow many of the ingredients for their menu on the premises, with the goal of making plant-based food “irresistible.”
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“We shoot to make good food that happens to be made with plants. And to be able to grow a certain amount of it yourself is awesome,” Waite added. “Our parameters are cooking with the seasons. We’re doing what Mother Nature is telling us to do.”
Waite brought in his Smokey Joe grill from home and set it up on a picnic bench outside, filling it with chunks of mesquite coal. While it heated up, we went inside to prep the dishes.
First up was Waite’s Chayote Squash Poisson Cru. This, explained Waite, is a vegan riff of a traditional Tahitian Poisson Cru. It’s similar to ceviche in that it’s made with raw fish and vegetables, but it’s enveloped in coconut milk. Here, Waite substitutes the fish with cubes of peeled chayote.
Chayote, like many squash varieties, is an enthusiastic grower. The Waites planted theirs along that stretch of fence in the back and the plants have made that fence their own, with dense vegetation shielding the light-green, pear-shaped fruit hanging voluptuously. Waite nabbed a few and brought them into the kitchen, where he quickly peeled the skin, removed the large seed (which is edible), and cubed them.
My own experience with chayote goes back to childhood: Chayote stuffed with tuna. My mom would boil the whole chayote for about 20 minutes, slice them in half lengthwise, scoop out and chop most of the creamy white flesh and mix it with sauteed onion, garlic and breadcrumbs, drained canned tuna, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. She’d spoon the mixture back into the chayote skins, drizzle with olive oil and bake. How did she come up with this? From my grandmother, who grew chayote in the family victory garden in Los Angeles during World War II.
Chayote is a versatile, pear-shaped squash that grows well in Southern California. The Waites have a healthy crop growing in the urban farm by their restaurant. It is a key component in Chayote Squash Poisson Cru, where it is simply peeled and cubed.
(John Gastaldo/For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Waite’s dish requires no cooking. The prep is very easy. There’s lime juice, coconut milk, agave nectar and chopped garlic that need to be mixed in a large bowl. To that, you add the diced chayote, finely diced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped cilantro and black pepper. Mix and let it rest for at least 20 minutes to let the lime juice and coconut milk permeate the chayote and the flavors meld. Then you can serve it with rice crackers, fried tortillas — or as a side dish. I loved the crunch of the chayote, which on its own has a neutral flavor, melded with the creaminess of the coconut milk and pop of the sweet cherry tomatoes.
From there we went to the kale. It’s not uncommon for cooks to strip the tender part of the leaf from the stem — then toss the stems.
Waite demonstrates how to destem a kale plant.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“Everyone throws them away, but I’ve been obsessed with flavoring things with different parts of themselves,” Waite said. “Like kale layers. So, we’re grilling the kale leaves and topping them with kale stem relish.”
Waite chose curly kale for his dish and, back in the kitchen, demonstrated an easy way to separate the leaf from the stem. Simply hold the leaf upright, rip the top of the leaf away from the stem and just keep going until it’s off. Repeat with the other half. Then save that stem.
With that, he minced the stems and browned them in a hot skillet with olive oil, salt and pepper for about 4 minutes, until they just slightly charred. Then he removed the skillet from the heat and added white vinegar and Morena sugar, a favorite of his to cook with since it’s very pure. You can find Morena sugar at Mexican markets and some Sprouts, Waite said.
With that done, Waite sliced the leaves into 1-inch strips. He placed them into a large bowl with thinly sliced white onion, olive oil, garlic kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Then we went back outside to the little grill, where he spread the mixture over the fire for just a couple of minutes until it was charred. The kale leaves went onto a platter and were topped with the kale stem relish. The kale has the smokiness of the grill, but it is still a little crunchy and sweet and sour from the onions and the relish.
Waite cuts the carrots and red bell peppers into similar-size planks for even cooking, then seasons and grills them over a charcoal barbecue, which brings out their natural sugars.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Then we were on to the carrots. Same approach here, only instead of throwing tops away, Waite used them to make a vegan pesto to top the grilled carrots and red peppers.
The first step was to prep the carrot tops, washing them thoroughly to remove any soil, then cutting off the thick stems and roughly chopping the thin stems and leaves. They went into the bowl of a blender, along with rice vinegar, lemon juice and zest, garlic, black pepper, pink peppercorns and Morena sugar. Waite pureed the mixture, then added toasted walnuts and olive oil, pulsing so that there would be a little texture in the pesto.
The pesto as prepared was delicious, zesty from the garlic, acids and pepper.
“If you’re missing the cheese and want to keep it vegan, you can add nutritional yeast to get that cheesy flavor,” said Waite. “Otherwise, go ahead and add grated cheese.”
He set the pesto aside, then sliced the carrots and red pepper. For the carrots, cut them in half lengthwise — or into thirds or quarters, depending on how thick they are. The idea is that they should be more or less the same size, so they’ll cook consistently. Combine the carrots and pepper slices with olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped garlic in a bowl. When you’re ready to grill, shake off the excess oil from the vegetables and place them on the grill perpendicular to the slats — or use a grill pan to keep them from falling through the grates. Let them grill for a few minutes, then flip them so they get a nice char. Plate the vegetables and toss with the carrot top pesto. Grilling brings out the sugars in the carrots and peppers. Combined with the pesto, there are layers of rich flavor and beautiful color. Serve it on its own or on top of pasta.
If you don’t have access to a grill, no problem. Simply heat a large skillet over high heat for either the kale or the carrots and peppers. And, as with the grill, let them cook for a few minutes and once charred, remove from heat.
Chayote Squash Poisson Cru is a vegan take on a traditional Tahitian Poisson Cru, similar to ceviche. The no-cook dish uses chayote squash in place of the fish, and coconut milk.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Chayote Squash Poisson Cru
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
12-ounce can coconut milk
Kosher salt to taste
Juice of 4 limes
¼ cup agave nectar
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
3 chayote squash, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces
½ cup red onion, finely diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1: In a large bowl, combine coconut milk, salt, lime juice, agave nectar and garlic.
2: Mix well, then add the rest of the ingredients. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Let rest for 20 minutes to an hour.
3: Serve with rice crackers, tortilla chips or as a side.
BBQ Kale With Kale Stem Relish
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 large white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
3 bunches kale
2 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
Solid sprinkle of kosher salt
Solid sprinkle of ground black pepper
Kale Stem Relish
For the Kale Stem Relish:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large brown or white onion, fine diced
Kale stems from 3 bunches, minced
Solid sprinkle of kosher salt
Solid Sprinkle of ground black pepper
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons Morena sugar (Mexican sugar available at Mexican markets and Sprouts)
DIRECTIONS
Although Waite prepares the kale leaves over a barbecue grill outside, they can also be cooked indoors in a large skillet on the stove. In either instance, the leaves will char within just a couple of minutes..
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
1: Make the relish: Heat oil in a large skillet. When skillet starts to smoke, carefully place onions, kale, salt, and pepper in the pan and brown over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly charred. Turn off heat. Add vinegar and sugar, stirring to make sure sugar fully dissolves. There should still be a little liquid, but the mixture will tighten as it cools. Use to top BBQ Kale.
2: Make the BBQ Kale: Place onion slices in a large bowl. Remove the stem from each kale leaf and save it for the kale stem relish. Cut kale into 1-inch strips and add to the onion. Top kale/onion mixture with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well.
For indoor preparation, place a large skillet on the stove over high heat. When the pan is ripping hot, add the kale mixture. As it cooks, flip the kale a few times. It should take just a couple of minutes to char.
For outdoor cooking, place the kale mixture directly onto the grill or on a grill pan over medium to low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until charred.
Place on a platter and top with kale stem relish.
The recipe for Grilled Carrots and Peppers With Carrot Top Pesto infuses layers of flavor from the ingredients, with no portion of the vegetables wasted.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Grilled Carrots and Peppers With Carrot Top Pesto
Makes 4 servings
INGREDIENTS
3 bunches farmers market carrots with tops
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cored
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste
1 teaspoon pepper
½ tablespoon chopped garlic
Carrot Top Pesto
For the Carrot Top Pesto:
6 cups carrot tops, chopped
1 cup rice vinegar
¼ cup lemon juice
Lemon zest from 1 lemon
4 garlic cloves
1 pinch black pepper
2 teaspoons pink peppercorns
¼ cup Morena sugar (Mexican sugar available at Mexican markets and Sprouts)
½ cup toasted walnuts
1 cup olive oil
Grated cheese or nutritional yeast (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Waite pours carrot top pesto over roasted carrots and peppers.
(John Gastaldo / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
1: Make the Carrot Top Pesto: Remove the tops from the carrots. Rinse and dry the tops well to remove the sandy soil. Remove thick stems and roughly chop the leaves. Add them gradually to the bowl of a blender along with the rest of the ingredients, up to just before the walnuts. Blend until smooth. Add the walnuts and blend on slow setting to provide texture. Add oil and briefly blend. Set aside to top carrots and peppers.
2: Make the Grilled Carrots and Peppers: After removing the tops for the pesto, rinse carrots and cut lengthwise in half or thirds, depending on their size. The pieces should be close in size. Slice peppers lengthwise into ½-inch strips. Combine the two vegetables in a large bowl and add the olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Toss well.
3: For indoor cooking, heat a large skillet on a stove over high heat. Add the vegetables and give them a nice char. Flip and lower the heat to medium and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with Carrot Top Pesto.
4: For outdoor grilling, shake off excess oil from vegetables. Place them on the grill perpendicularly or use a smaller grate/grill pan. Let grill 3 to 4 minutes and then flip them over and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and toss with Carrot Top Pesto.
Recipes from Davin Waite.
Golden is a San Diego freelance food writer and blogger.
