Use this recipe as a guideline and a suggestion, as you could really serve any odds and ends you find in the vegetable bin with this versatile vinaigrette. Think about adding broccoli florets, green beans, or summer squash, just to name a few.

　　

Ingredients

4 servings

　　

Tarragon Vinaigrette

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

　　2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

Vegetable Sauté

2 tablespoons olive oil

　　1 large shallot, sliced

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　8 ounces button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced

　　1 bunch of asparagus (1 pound), trimmed and cut in 3-inch pieces

　　1 (8-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

　　1/2 pint teardrop tomatoes, halved

　　1/2 teaspoon salt

　　1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　

For the Tarragon Vinaigrette

Step 1

Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix.

　　

For the Vegetable Sauté

Step 2

Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the asparagus and artichokes and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn off the heat and add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper; toss with the vinaigrette.

　　

Step 3

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

　　Reprinted with permission from Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2008 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.