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.

Fried Elderflowers & Squash Blossoms in Beer Batter: Light, Crispy & Delicate

Fried Elderflowers in Beer Batter

 On a warm Spring afternoon we added Fried Elderflowers or fiori di sambuco fritti  to the menu - these edible flowers when fried in a beer batter create a light, crunchy, aromatic antipasti/appetizer!

Serve with the same beer you used in the batter, in our case, local craft beer from Apecchio's Collessi Brewery. The flowers have a floral-lemony flavor that pair perfect with Prosecco as well.

The key to this recipe is keeping all the ingredients - including the bowl & whisk in the fridge!! It is a very light/loose batter that becomes nice & crispy!

Elderflowers or Sambuco from the tree in our front yard

Here is a short 2 minute video taken during a May Cooking Class just the other day - on the menu: Fried Elderflowers, Homemade Ravioli stuffed with Greens & Ricotta in a 'Sugo al Momento' or Sauce of the Moment and 2 Crostata's: Fresh Strawberries and Fig Jam with Pine Nuts. It was a lovely lunch but the elderflowers stole the show!

Beer Batter for Elderflowers and Squash/Zucchini Blossoms

*It is very important to have all the ingredients as cold as possible, including: flour, bowl, whisk/whip, etc.

Serves 4
12-15 flowers (sambuco/elderflower or squash blossoms), it is important to keep the stem long to use it as a 'stir-stick' when frying.
bottle of beer (or seltzer water - but it won't be as crispy)
flour
sea salt (for sprinkling on top before you serve)

Add a couple of handfuls of cold flour to a cold bowl, with a cold whisk add cold beer steadily mixing until you develop a light thin batter without lumps that will coat a spoon. (Think of a thin crepe batter.) - Watch the video for an example.

Once at desired consistency, cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about an hour.

Heat oil to 350 F / 175 C - be sure to use a thermometer.

Clean your flowers. Elderflowers: give a little shake and check for bugs. Squash Blossoms: remove the pistil & stamen.

Dip the flower in the batter holding on to the stem. Allow access batter to drip off. While holding the stem of the flower, place in the hot oil in a slow swirling motion thru the oil. (This avoids clumping).
Fry for 20-30 seconds, until golden brown. Be sure to maintain the temperature of your oil.
Place on the fried flowers on brown paper and sprinkle with sea salt and serve immediately!

Serve with beer or prosecco - something bubbly!!

Carpaccio of Zucchini

 
Carpaccio of Zucchini
Fine Fine Zucchini

zucchini
salt
pepper
olive oil
lemon
parmesan

handful of cherry tomatoes, radishes, zucchini flowers, arugula (optional)

Use mandolin or slicer, slice zucchini very very thinly - paper thin.

Lay out one layer on a plate or platter.

Crack of pepper, crack of salt, drizzle olive oil, squeeze of lemon. Let sit for 15 minutes.

 

If you have cherry tomatoes and/or radishes toss a small handful ontop as well as zucchini flowers, arugula or celery hearts, etc to give it a little extra bite & color. Finish with shaved parmesan over the top. Serve

Fried Squash Blossoms + Prosecco

A fabulous summer appetizer is fried zucchini or squash blossoms, lightly battered, golden & crispy with a hint of salt, followed with a tall glass of bubbly Prosecco! It's a match made in heaven.

You can find recipes that fill the blossoms with cheese but I prefer it vuoto, fried without anything stuffed inside so you can taste how delicate this dish really is.  The blossoms perish quickly, so cut them off the plant or buy them the day of use & keep them in the crisper section of your fridge until ready to fry.

I am not normally a big fan of fried foods (I should say I'm a big fan of eating them but the cooking & clean up can be a mess), but this dish is so delicious it's worth it.

Fried Squash or Zucchini Blossoms

Fiori di zucca fritti

8 zucchini or squash blossoms, fresh cut, remove the center pistil & stamen from the flower
cup of flour
1 egg
pinch of salt
spoonful of baking powder
enough seltzer water to make a thin batter
oil for frying

In a bowl combine the flour, salt & baking powder. Scramble the egg & add it to the flour.
Then with a fork, mix in the egg & enough seltzer water to make a thin batter.  Allow to sit in the fridge for at least an hour. The mixture will separate, stir it with a fork a few times before use.

Temperature to fry 350 degrees
Dip into the batter & allow the access to drip off. Fry at 350 degree until golden brown. Sprinkle with salt & serve immediately with an cold glass of Prosecco.

Baked Vegetables with Bread Crumbs - Verdure Gratinate

Now this is home cooking in Italy. Verdure gratinate (baked vegetables with bread crumbs) can be found on many tables here in our area, always delicious - warm & toasty or packed up for a pot-luck.  The thick slices of onions are my favorite and are basically the best onion rings ever! They come out soft & warm inside with perfectly light & crispy crunch. To top it off this healthy dish is incredibly simple to make & can be served as an antipasto or at the end of the meal with your meat as a contorno.

Baked Vegetables with Bread Crumbs

Verdure Gratinate

serves 4

ingredients:

(Below are suggested veggies, you can use any kind of vegetables you like, cut in half, lengthwise so they have a large flat surface)
1 tomato

1 small zucchini

1 eggplant

1 onion (thickly sliced)

1 pepper

small handful of fresh herbs of your choice (we use: oregano, parsley or marjoram), chopped
salt & pepper
olive oil
about a cup of plain bread crumbs

Season plain breadcrumbs with fresh herbs.
Place veggies on cookie sheet, (covered in parchment paper) drizzle with olive oil, add salt & pepper.
Sprinkle breadcrumbs evenly over vegetables, covering them completely (but don't go crazy with a half an inch of breadcrumbs).
Finish with another drizzle of olive oil.
Bake 375 F / 190C degrees oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour, until vegetables are soft & breadcrumbs are browned on top.
Serve warm or room temperature.

Pasta with Zucchini & Squash Blossoms

Fresh pasta with zucchini & blossoms by Lickmyspoon.com

This is literally a 10 minute pasta sauce with a fancy name! You can use any vegetables you like cauliflower, broccoli - you name it - the harder veggies should be blanched first.

Pasta with Zucchini & Squash Blossoms

serves 4

3 medium zucchini, seeded & sliced
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
2-3 slices of prosciutto, diced
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
chili flakes as desired
salt
8 squash blossoms
fresh pasta of your choice

Cleaning the squash blossoms:
1. Wash in a bowl of cold water
2. Remove inner pistol & stamen
3. Pat dry with a paper towel
4. Rip into pieces

In a large skillet - brown the garlic in olive oil & discard.
Bring heat up to med-high & toss in veggies & chili flakes.
Sauté until veggies are half cooked (for zucchini about 4 minutes).
Then add prosciutto & tomatoes.
Continue sautéing for another couple of minutes until your vegetables are cooked through but not mushy.
Season with salt.

Toss your sauce, fresh cooked pasta & half of the squash blossoms. Note: It may be necessary to add a spoonful or two of pasta water if it looks a little dry.

Drizzle with olive oil & sprinkle the remaining squash blossoms on top.

Garden Casserole

Perfect for those crisp fall nights- hearty fall veggies in a casserole with crunchy bread - keeps you toasty by the fire! Our garden is filled with these veggies & it is one of the easiest ways to utilize what we've got! Plus - this recipe is ridiculously simple!!

Ingredients

* 2 nice sized potatoes (yukon gold are best), peeled & thinly sliced
* 2 medium zucchini, sliced on the bias with seeds removed
* 2 shallots, chopped
* couple handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
* handful of fresh herbs, chopped (oregano, parsley or marjoram)
* salt & pepper
* extra virgin olive oil
* good bread

The Steps~

* Pour a little oil in a casserole dish (oven safe).
* Make a layer of potatoes covering the base of the dish
* Layer of zucchini
* Salt & pepper
* drizzle of olive oil
* couple of tomatoes ( does not have to fill in completly)
* sprinkle of shallots
* salt & pepper
* drizzle of olive oil
* chopped herbs
* repeat these steps until the dish is filled eding with potatoes on the top & a final drizzle of olive oil
* bake in a 400 degree oven until it is bubbling & a knife slips in easy & soft. Cooking time depends on size & height of your caserol dish - normally about an hour - hour & half.

Thinly Sliced Zucchini

Thinly Sliced Zucchini
Fine Fine Zucchini

zucchini
salt
pepper
olive oil
lemon
parmesan

Use mandolin or slicer, slice zucchini very very thinly - paper thin.

Lay out one layer on a plate or plater.

Crack of pepper, crack of salt, drizzle olive oil, squeeze of lemon & shave parmesan over the top.

Let sit for 15 minutes & serve.