Poached Vegetables Followed by Poached Fish

Salt
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
1 pound potatoes, peeled (or not) and chunked
1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced
1 pound green beans, topped and tailed
1 to 2 pounds shrimp or other fish, peeled and/or cleaned (or both) as necessary

Nutritional Information
- Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
  221 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams dietary fiber; 8 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 182 milligrams cholesterol; 484 milligrams sodium

6 to 8 servings.

Put a tablespoon or so of salt in a medium (say 6-quart) saucepan and add enough water to cover whatever you might cook. Bring to a boil.
Add the carrots, reduce the heat so the water bubbles gently (cover partly) and cook until just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on thickness. Remove, plunge into ice water (or at least cold running water). When cool, drain and put in a plastic container or sealable bag.
Potatoes: Same treatment. About 15 minutes, again depending on size. Fennel, green beans: Ditto. Five minutes or less for each.
Shrimp or fish: No different really, except if you’re cooking white fish, undercook it a bit so it doesn’t fall apart. Shrimp just has to turn pink, really. Cooking time for shrimp, scallops, squid: 2 minutes or so. For fillets (nothing too thin, or they will fall apart): 5 minutes or so.

It’s actually easier to cook these ingredients sequentially because they cook at different rates. These are just ideas for vegetables (but I would not go on a picnic without carrots because, when poached, they’re not only delicious but gorgeous). In general, cook more-common aromatics — onions, carrots, celery — before stronger-flavored vegetables, like fennel. And save the fish for last, because then you’re cooking fish in vegetable broth rather than the other way around.

1 hour or less