Chef, author and meat-lover Jamie Oliver did not want to compromise on flavor when he sought to write his first-ever vegetable-focused book.

And he doesn’t. Not only does “Ultimate Veg” (Flatiron Books; January 2020) illustrate that an all-vegetable dish is flavorsome, creative and exciting but also that no one should ever feel the need to apologize for making one.

The book mixes and matches vegetables in big helpings whether it is in a tagine with preserved lemons and apricots or a summer pie flavored with saffron and harissa and blanketed with phyllo pastry or a sarnie, aka sandwich, dressed with mint paste studded with black olives.

Refreshingly the recipes do not call for the vegetables to be drowned in cream, smothered in cheese or cooked to death, nor does Mr. Oliver combine them with meat substitutes to justify their worthiness.

Chapters such as Curries & Stews, Traybakes, Burgers & Fritters, One-Pan Wonders and Brunch feature classic recipes with a twist, new-age ones with familiar ingredients and those that belong in the now-why-didn’t-I-think-of-that category and are of dinner, brunch and potluck material.

In his Scruffy Eggplant Lasagne, Mr. Oliver dispenses with neatly layering lasagna noodles in a pan. Instead, he calls for tearing up fresh pasta sheets and combines them with eggplant in tomato sauce, pulling some of the lasagna to the top to create a top layer. The lasagna is finished with blanched almond crumbles and fresh sage leaves and baked until golden and bubbling.

He makes the case that cucumbers can become a popular mainstay just like shrimp, chicken and cauliflower when they get a Bang Bang treatment. In his Brilliant Bang Bang Cucumber, English cuke slices are drizzled with soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil. Finally, they get a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds, red chili flakes and crushed Szechuan peppers.

His frittata is made of fresh green peas, asparagus and tomatoes, except that they are no ordinary tomatoes. They are dehydrated. Ripe tomatoes are chopped and roasted in a 275-degree oven for an hour and a half. Nuggets of ricotta cheese are spooned on top along with grated Parmesan cheese.

On the heels of the book, Mr. Oliver is launching a new PBS series, “Jamie’s Ultimate Veg,” which will air on WQED in May, where he will cook vibrant and hearty vegetable dishes that were inspired by his travels across the United Kingdom and world, and share simple tips and techniques.

He says that vegetable-based foods are tasty and comforting when they are given the respect and thought they deserve.

“We might think that basing our meals around more vegetables and less meat is forward thinking, and is trendy or progressive, but I can assure you, if anything, it’s looking back towards our grandparents and great-grandparents, who — by default — cooked this way,” he writes in the book, which took him eight years to complete.

If you are a vegetarian, buy the book to expand and elevate your repertoire, and if you eschew vegetables, buy the book to see what you are missing out on. “Ultimate Veg” is a vegetarian path well worth taking.

Here are seven useful takeaways from “Ultimate Veg”:

Think global: Tahini, harissa, curry powder and miso all come in handy to give a global touch. Morph the Indian street snack, bhel puri, into a salad with the addition of radishes, cucumber, cherry tomatoes and pomegranate. Or make Yemini-accented pancakes with bread flour and yeast, and serve them with a smoky tahini-flavored eggplant.

Add elements of surprise: Toss together unexpected ingredients with the usual ones for delicious results. Add an apple along with carrots, radish and vermicelli rice noodles to make Crunchy Summer Rolls. Whip HP sauce (England’s favorite brown sauce) and butter together and spread it on thin slices of bread for Ploughman’s Nachos, and top with cheddar cheese and pickled onions.

Embrace improvisations: You don’t need taco shells to make crispy tacos. Simply tear a fresh tortilla and place the quarters between the domes of an upside-down muffin pan to hold their shape and bake for 10 minutes. Dry fry mushrooms for a minute instead of in oil to bring out their nutty flavor.

Don’t hold back on the spice: To make a Comforting Congee Bowl with soft-boiled eggs and mushrooms sing, add star anise and sliced fresh red chili. For an Angry Pasta Fagioli, throw in whole red chilies when cooking the butternut squash and carrot for a warming heat. Or kick up parsnip soup a notch by flavoring it with garam masala and fresh ginger.

Remember booze can make things better: Pour in white wine when making a mushroom risotto or dry white vermouth for a tomato risotto to elevate the flavor. Deglaze caramelized bits of vegetable with a Chianti red wine for a hasselback with root vegetables, lentils and spinach. Porter beer makes for a richer tasting Burns Night Stew with dumplings. And a gumbo with red wine belongs in a league of its own.

Season to taste: Mr. Oliver never lists or includes a measurement for salt and pepper as part of the recipes’ ingredients. But he mentions them in the directions at the step or steps they need to be added. And it is always to taste.

Make an eye-catcher: Think of all-natural colorful makeovers to please the eye and palate. Add spinach to a flour-milk batter to make verdant spinach pancakes topped with an avocado-tomato salad and served with cottage cheese. Doll up an umami-packed black bean burger with a dollop of plain yogurt and tomato-onion relish and slices of mango and avocado.

Arthi Subramaniam: asubramaniam@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1494.

Super-Comforting Gumbo

PG tested

You don’t have to pan-fry the okra; just dry-fry it until it is nicely charred. But make sure the okra is tender.

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

3 stalks celery

3 mixed-color peppers

3 tablespoons peanut oil

3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

3 fresh bay leaves

3 sprigs fresh thyme

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

6 tablespoons red wine

1 (14-ounce) can quality plum tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas

7 ounces frozen peas

Sea salt and black pepper to taste

2 fresh jalapeno chilies

¼ cup red wine vinegar

7 ounces okra

Peel and finely chop onion, garlic and celery. Seed and roughly chop the peppers.

Pour 3 tablespoons of oil into a large pan over medium heat. Mix flour to make a paste (loose roux).

Cook until dark brown, stirring constantly, so it does not catch and burn.

Add the chopped vegetables to the paste along with bay leaves and thyme leaves. Cook for 20 minutes, or until softened and dark nutty brown, stirring regularly.

Add cayenne pepper and paprika. Add wine and allow to reduce by half before scrunching in the tomatoes.

Add the chickpeas (juices and all) and enough water to cover, then simmer over a medium heat for 25 minutes or until reduced to your preferred consistency. Add peas for the last 5 minutes.

Season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper.

Meanwhile, finely slice the chilies and place in a bowl. Stir in the vinegar and a pinch of salt to make a quick pickle.

Dry-fry the okra in a large nonstick frying pan on a medium heat until lightly charred. Then halve and scatter over the gumbo.

Serves 6.

— “Ultimate Veg” by Jamie Oliver (Flatiron Books; Jan. 7, 2020)

Masala Stuffed Peppers

PG tested

Remember to generously rub the inside of the halved peppers with red wine vinegar because the tangy flavor nicely complements the potato filling.

1 pound potatoes

2 sweet potatoes (8 ounces each)

1 red onion

4 cloves garlic

1 fresh red chili

1 large knob unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons tomato paste

½ bunch fresh cilantro (½ ounce), divided

2 red peppers

2 yellow peppers

Red wine vinegar

2 ounces paneer or feta cheese

¾ ounce shelled unsalted pistachios

Scrub potatoes and sweet potatoes and chop into ¾-inch chunks. Place in a large pot over medium heat. Cover with boiling salted water and cook for 15 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Then drain and transfer to a bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel and roughly chop the onion and garlic, and finely slice the chili. Place pot back on the stove over medium heat with butter. Add onion, garlic, chili, cumin seeds, ground cloves, tomato paste and a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Cook for 3 minute, stirring regularly.

Finely chop most of the cilantro. Add to the pan along with the potatoes. Mix and mash everything together.

Carefully halve the peppers lengthwise and seed. Rub with a little vinegar and salt.

Divide the filling between the peppers. Place peppers in a roasting pan and cook in oven for about 1 hour, or until soft. Grate cheese over the peppers in the last 5 minutes.

Bash pistachios in a pestle and mortar until fine. Serve half a red and yellow pepper on each plate, sprinkle with pistachios and cilantro leaves.

Serves 4.

— “Ultimate Veg” by Jamie Oliver (Flatiron Books; Jan. 7, 2020)

First Published: February 5, 2020, 11:13 a.m.