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.

Fennel and Peach Salad

 On a hot night this is an ideal, super simple, light and refreshing summer salad. The crunch of the fennel & sweet peaches pair perfectly! There are only a handful of ingredients; shaved fennel, peaches, extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper. The key to keeping the fennel flavor from overpowering everything is to shave it very fine with a mandoline.

(Side note: It may not be proper Italian but when it's over 90 F / 30 C it's on the menu.)

Fennel and Peach Salad

1 bulb of fennel, core removed, sliced paper thin on a mandoline or meat slicer
2-3 of peaches, sliced
a few tablespoons of good extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and gently toss. Let sit five minutes and serve!

Braised Fennel with White Wine

Photo: Simply Recipes

Fennel is a versatile vegetable that is often looked over for being too tough. Braising is a great way to soften this hearty root vegetable known to aid in digestion. The acidity & fruitiness of the wine compliments the aniseed flavored fennel and with a good drizzle of olive oil it finishes this dish perfectly.  Serve with meat!

Braised Fennel with White Wine
finocchio al vino bianco

1 large fennel cut into wedges (keeping the center core intact)
2 cloves of garlic
few glugs of olive oil
pepper flakes to taste
glass of white wine
salt & pepper
aromatics optional: lemon zest, orange zest, fennel seeds, herbs, chilies ... you get the point, anything you like.


In a pan on low heat, add a few glugs of olive oil and sweat garlic until lightly golden, then discard the garlic. Raise the heat add the fennel and sautee 1-2 minutes on each side to get color.
Season with salt & chili flakes to taste.
Add in aromatics of your choice. (Don't over do it - a sprig of rosemary, a twist/zest or two of lemon or just a couple juniper berries, we still want the flavor of the fennel to come through.)
Reduce heat to low. Add in wine & cover.
Braise on low heat until tender, about  20-25 minutes.
It may be necessary to add in a bit of water if it gets too dry.
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil atop.

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

Fennel - what is it? A big onion? A bulb? Is it even edible? YES and how delicious it is!

The secret is to know how to use it & what to pair it with.
Fennel can be a bit tough & fibrous with an anise flavor. It is also light, crunchy & refreshing found in many Mediterranean recipes. We not only grow our own big bulbs of fennel but another variety of fennel grows wild along our road - the more leafy/flowery type to used as an aromatic.

Here is one of my favorite winter/early spring recipes from Jason below. Other ways to use/eat fennel: roasted, braised in white wine and the most simplistic - young fennel can be cut into chunks & dipped into olive oil & salt.

Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

1 bulb of fennel, cut in 1/2 and remove core
2-3 blood oranges
salt & pepper
3 glugs of extra virgin olive oil

Slice fennel as this as possible (use a food slicer or mandolin if available).
Peel & supreme the oranges. Save the extra pulp & squeeze the remaining juice into the bowl.
Mix sliced fennel, juice from the pulp & oranges - season with salt & pepper.
Drizzle with olive oil & toss.
Let stand for 10 minutes then serve.