Garden Vegetable Stew

 

This is one vegetarian dish that even the die-hard meat eaters will enjoy! The quality of your veggies will turn this from ordinary to amazing and full of flavor. Its filling and incredible versatile based on the vegetables and herbs you use. This veg stew is perfect over a boiled potato or polenta. With the eggs from our hens, we love poaching an egg and placing it atop this gorgeous garden stew, adding a little protein and making it into more of a meal. Plus, eggs are hot right now!! Which just cracks us up (who comes up with these things?! By the way kale is out and cauliflower is in!) 

Remember with simple dishes like this its important to use the best quality ingredients. This is just the base for the veggies - use what you've got /like/grow. Add in potatoes if you want, etc.

Garden Vegetable Stew
serves about 6

This is just the base for the veggies - use what you've got/like/grow. Add in potatoes if you want, etc.

1 long eggplant
1 onion
1 pepper
1 zucchini
1 bulb of fennel
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
salt & pepper
a couple of large tomatoes, diced or 1 jar of whole crushed tomatoes
herbs of your choice (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf etc)
optional: capers, olives

Dice all your vegetables in a large dice, keeping them separate. Since its a stew the sizing isn’t exact. But don’t mix all the veggies together in a bowl.

In a large heavy pot, with a little bit of olive oil on medium high heat, sauté the onion for a few minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Then remove from the pot. We are just looking to start the onions cooking.

Repeat the same process, a little bit of olive oil, salt & pepper, sauté for 2 minutes or so and then remove, with each of the remaining vegetable except the tomatoes.

Keep an eye on your pan heat - you don’t want it too hot or too cool: too hot and they will burn your vegetables, too cool and you’ll sweat instead of sauté the vegetables.

Then return all the vegetables to the pot, together, along with the tomatoes and your herbs (and capers/olives if you like). Bring the pot up to a simmer and let slowly simmer until all the vegetables are tender. OR I like to pop it in a 375 F/190 C degrees oven, uncovered for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the vegetables are soft and the liquid has reduced some.

Check your seasoning, remove the herb stems and finish with good extra virgin olive oil on top.

If you like, poach an egg and place atop or serve with boiled potatoes or grilled polenta. Makes a great hearty vegetarian dish. It will get better as it sits in the fridge. Change up the vegetables as you like or play with the spices.

Grilled Eggplant, Fresh Mozzarella and Peppers with Capers

A staple of an Italian vegetable garden is eggplant/aubergines or melanzane - so of course we grow plenty! The plant and flowers are gorgeous, the only problem is, we're not huge fans of the veg. itself. I do like them stuffed like a little quiche or thinly cut & fried is always good. But I must say the recipe below of grilled eggplant with mozzarella topped with peppers & capers is my new favorite! Ok, now don't be turned off by the capers - they impart an amazing saltiness to the yellow peppers!

Grilled Eggplant, Mozzarella, Yellow Peppers & Capers
Melanzane di Caroline

1-2 eggplants (the fat short kind)
1 ball of fresh mozzarella

1 yellow pepper

couple of tablespoons capers under salt

handful of clean parsley leaves, washed (keep the leaves whole)

olive oil

sea salt

Thickly slice the eggplant into 1inch or 2.5cm slices and place on a wire rack with a sheet pan underneath. Generously salt both sides and let sit for an hour to drain. 

While you're waiting: Rinse capers. Cut peppers into 1 inch/medium sized squares and combine with capers in a bowl, let sit.

Back to the eggplant: Rinse and pat dry. Brush a little olive oil on the eggplant.  Grill on medium heat or broil for 3-4 minutes on each side until soft. Make sure they don’t burn.

Now put it all together: Drain mozzarella and cut them into nice thick slices - about the same thickness as the eggplant. On a plate alternate between the eggplant and cheese creating a cir
Add parsley into the peppers & capers. Place the pepper & caper mix into the center/on top of the  eggplant/mozzarella circle.  Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil.  Allow to sit before you serve to let everything to incorporate.

Stuffed Eggplant: Bake until golden & bubbly...

 Need I say more?! Oh these are goooood! Just like a little mini quiche tucked into nice little eggplant shells just beggin' to be eaten! This is a great go-to recipe for a dinner party or when you want to make a few dishes a bit earlier since it's served at room temp. A hearty fill for the vegetarians out there. 
Thanksgiving staple at our house:

Stuffed Eggplant Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 eggplants

3 Tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 red or green bell peppers, halved, seeded & chopped

4 ripe tomatoes, diced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

salt & pepper

Method: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise & scoop out the flesh without piercing the ‘shells’. Chop the flesh & save the shells.  Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the chopped eggplant flesh, celery, bell peppers and tomatoes, season with salt & pepper and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

Brush an ovenproof dish with olive oil.

Remove the pan from the heat & stir in the eggs. Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture and place in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake until golden & bubbling!

Remove from the oven and let cool.

Serve cold/at room temperature.