Star Billing For A Bit Player

Star Billing for a Bit PlayerAmericans, for some inexplicable reason, have always given short shrift to vegetables. In this country, everyone seems to docilely accept those ubiquitous dishes of succotash blandly accompanying the platters of fried chicken and the self-effacing string beans that meekly attend the roast ribs of beef. But in Europe, hosts hold vegetables in high esteem.In France, for instance, asparagus isn't just a garnish for a lonely lamb chop but a garden god, a bountiful spring...