Frito Misto di Verdura

This is the Italian version of vegetable tempura. The temperature of the oil is critical to getting a greaseless, crunchy crust, so do the veggies in batches if you have a small pot. This is great with sweet spring veggies and will serve 6 as a side. This is wonderful with roast lamb or chicken. Or serve them instead of fries with burgers.

1/4 pound sweet peas in pod
1/4 pound green beans, ends snapped off
1 head broccoli, cut into thin spears
1 bunch scallions, root ends removed and greens trimmed
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick rounds
1 sweet yellow bell pepper, cored and cut into 1/2-inch thick strips
1/2 head cauliflower, cut into thin spears
1 bunch aspargus, trimmed of the woody sections
1 peeled sweet potato, juillienned
3 lemons, cut into wedges
2 1/2 cups cornstarch
2 quarts canola oil, for frying
Salt, to taste

Heat the oil in a deep pan with a basket until just smoking. In a wide, shallow bowl, mix half the vegetables and 1/3 of the lemon wedges. Sprinkle with 1 cup cornstarch and toss quickly with hands to coat. Toss into a large strainer with a handle and bat against hands to remove excess cornstarch. Drop the coated vegetables and lemons into the oil and cook until golden brown and crispy (about 2 minutes).

Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Immediately repeat with the 1/3 of the remaining lemons and all remaining vegetables. Season the hot fried foods with salt and serve immediately with fresh lemon wedges.

Do all of this while your meat is resting prior to carving. These are fun veggies to eat.