SEVEN OR LESS
Fresh veggies easy to cook up

By J.M. Hirsch
Associated Press Writer

CONCORD, N.H. — For Jack Bishop's family, eating seasonally and locally is simple, thanks to a community-supported farm they joined four years ago.

But the message in Bishop's recent book, "A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen" (Houghton Mifflin, 2004, $35), is that you need not live on or even near a farm to appreciate the pleasures of produce at its prime.

For people who don't have access to farms such as the one Bishop buys from, farmers' markets are the best bet, he says. His book is intuitively set out by season, making it easy to select from a variety of recipes suited to whatever is available to you at the time.

In warm weather, he offers plenty for the grill, from a Mediterranean-inspired sandwich stuffed with grilled vegetables, olives and capers to Cheddar-stuffed poblano chilies with grilled corn and tomato salad.

Here are Bishop's tostadas with garlicky spinach, grape tomatoes and goat cheese, a deceptively simple dish that packs plenty of flavor. Vegans could leave off the cheese and substitute avocado slices (after baking).

Tostadas With Garlicky Spinach, Grape Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Four 6-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 5 ounces baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups)
• 2 1/2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Move an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and arrange the tortillas on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Combine the tomatoes, cilantro, 1 tablespoon oil and salt to taste in a small bowl. Set aside to marinate several minutes.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and the garlic in a large skillet over a medium flame. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the spinach and salt to taste, and cook, stirring constantly, until the spinach wilts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Divide the spinach evenly among the tortillas. Top the spinach with a portion of the tomato mixture, then sprinkle with goat cheese. Bake until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese softens, about 8 minutes. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 servings.