zucchini

mixed vegetables with thyme / verdure miste al timo

| Simona

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mixed vegetable with thyme
mixed vegetable with thyme
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge1. In post-war Paris, a woman is found murdered in the basement of the building where Paul and Julia Child live, and the murder weapon is a knife from Julia’s kitchen. If this brief introduction sounds intriguing, you’ll probably enjoy the book. I’m afraid I didn’t find the novel believable.2

The narrator, a young woman named Tabitha, lives with her grandfather not far from the Childs and befriends Julia. He grows a variety of herbs (erbe aromatiche) in his greenhouse:

There were rows of planters in the dome-shaped room… filled with herbs like tarragon, chervil, rosemary, thyme, basil, and of course, catnip. (dragoncello, cerfoglio, rosmarino, timo, basilico, erba gatta)

Thyme is probably my favorite herb and I use it with abandon, most recently on the first summer vegetables that have made their appearance at the farmers’ market.Usually, I strip the leaves, but sometimes I add the sprigs (rametti) whole, and remove the almost bare stems at the end, before serving. The tenderest ones blend with the vegetables and are undetectable when eating.

Last month, I spent a week in Los Osos, a town on the Central Coast of California, south of Morro Bay. The Monday farmers’ market there is one of my favorite: small, but offering a rich variety of produce. Also, with respect to the markets in Northern California, it was ahead of time in terms of summer vegetables. As a result, while there I ate the first zucchini (zucchine) and tomatoes of the season and even some sweet peppers. I also found glorious bunches of carrots (carote).

bunches of carrots at the Los Osos farmers’ market
bunches of carrots at the Los Osos farmers’ market: irresistible

At the San Rafael farmers’ market, I recently scored the first eggplant (melanzane) of the season and at the Arcata farmers market, I put in my bag a beautiful head of escarole (scarola): it a type of endive, slightly bitter, and delightfully so. I like to use the outer leaves (foglie esterne) cooked with other vegetables, as in the recipe below, while I add the inner, tenderer leaves to salads. Using carrots and escarole in the same dish creates a delicious bittersweet combination.

summer vegetables
summer vegetables are here!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO

The dish is easy to make and cooks fairly quickly. I finish it with some flavorful creamy white miso3 from a local producer. As is, the dish is vegan. You can enrich it with eggs, cheese or, to keep it vegan, nutritional yeast.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Mixed vegetables with thyme

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces / 85 grams (2) carrots
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces / 112 grams red spring onion, diced small
  • 1/4 teaspoon Harissa spice mix
  • A handful of thyme sprigs
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 ounces / 113 grams eggplant (1 small)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml hot water
  • 4 ounces / 113 grams escarole leaves
  • 8 ounces /225 grams zucchini (Black Beauty, Costata Romanesco, Magda, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon white miso or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch/25-cm deep sauté pan.

Add the onion, lower the heat and stir, then after 1 minute, add the grated carrot and stir. After 2 minutes, sprinkle the harissa spice mix, add the thyme, and stir well. Cook on low heat for another 2 minutes, stirring often.

In the meantime, trim top and bottom of the eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch / 6 mm slices lengthwise, then cut each slice into small dice.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir. After 1 minute, add the diced eggplant and stir, then add the water and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring a few times.

Wash and drain the escarole leaves, halve them lengthwise then slice them crosswise into 1-inch / 2.5 cm strips.

Add the escarole to the pan, stir well, cover and cook for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, trim the zucchini, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Add the zucchini, turn up the heat to medium and stir well. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for 4 minutes or so, until the zucchini are just tender.

Uncover, add the white miso and stir until well blended (or sprinkle the sea salt and stir).

Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Serves 3-4.

I have already prepared this dish several times and I see myself doing it often this summer.

1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
2 Review on Kirkus Reviews
3 From Palmer Creek Farm’s Instagram feed: photo of the white miso, made with rice koji and white beans. To learn more about koji, miso, and what Richard Wagner makes, you can read the article I wrote for the North Coast Journal, which peeks from under the containers of miso in the photo.

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logoThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

roasted vegetables with za’atar / verdure arrosto con za’atar

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3938 (1)

the oven and za'atar turn summer vegetables into a flavorful side dish
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Also called wild thyme, za’atar is an herb typical of the Middle East. Chef Yotam Ottolenghi has this to say about it:

[Za’atar] has a distinctive, pungent, savoury aroma. Its scientific name, Origanum syriacum, hints at a connection to oregano, marjoram and the like, but, for me, its flavour evokes cumin, lemon, sage and mint.1

Za’atar is also used to indicate a mix composed of the dried herb, sumac (obtained by grinding the berries of the shrub Rhus coriaria), salt and sesame seeds (semi di sesamo). If you purchase some za’atar mix, chances are, rather than za’atar (the herb), it contains dried thyme (timo secco), plus oregano and/or marjoram (origano e/o maggiorana). I first met za’atar in a spice jar, a mix of sumac, toasted sesame seeds, salt, cumin (cumino), thyme, oregano and marjoram. I used it up quickly in dishes like roasted cauliflower.2

Then I decided to make my own version. Given the popularity of za’atar (the mix), there are many recipes for it: the one I give below is the result of some experimenting. You can experiment with quantities to get to the balance of flavor you like. It is possible to purchase dried za’atar (at least online) and maybe one day I will do that. In the meantime, I use regular dried thyme.

The array of vegetables available this time of the year is sometimes overwhelming. I focused on a classic combination of zucchini, tomatoes and sweet onion. The photo above shows my favorite zucchini variety, Costata Romanesco, and a variety of plum tomatoes that perform well when roasted.



This is also the season of freshly harvested onion, which make for a lovely display, as in the photo above.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Roasted vegetables with za'atar

Ingredients for the za’atar mix (with dried thyme)

  • 1 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon sumac
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Ingredients for the vegetable side dish:

  • 4 ounces / 113 grams sweet onion, like Walla Walla
  • 1 pound / 450 grams zucchini or other summer squash
  • 1/2 pound / 8 ounces / 225 grams tomatoes (small Early Girl, plum cherry, grape or red cherry)
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml + 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml za'atar spice mix

To make the za'atar mix, briefly whiz the first 5 ingredients in a spice grinder, or use a mortar and pestle to grind the thyme and oregano, then add the following 3 ingredients and grind some more.

Transfer to a small glass jar, add the sesame seeds, cover, shake and use as directed.

To prepare the roasted vegetables, heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Lightly olive oil the bottom of a 3 quart / 3 liter glass baking dish using 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the extra-virgin olive oil.

Dice the onion. Quarter the zucchini lengthwise then slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick). If the zucchini is plump, divide each half into thirds lengthwise before slicing. Halve the small tomatoes, quarter the larger ones, lengthwise.

Place all the vegetables in the baking dish and stir to mix. Place the baking dish in the oven. After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir the vegetables. After another 5 minutes, check a piece of zucchini: the dish may be done or may need a few more minutes.

In the meantime, put the za'atar in a ramekin and slowly pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil while stirring to make a paste.

When the vegetables are ready, take the baking dish out of the oven and transfer onto a serving plate. Drizzle the za'atar on the vegetable and stir well. (Note: I took the photos before tossing to show the za'atar.) Taste and adjust the salt, if needed.

Serve immediately.

Serves 3-4.

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3936-2

hurry up: the vegetables are better when hot from the oven
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

You can dress other vegetables with the za’atar paste or dip bread into it and you can sprinkle za’atar on roasted meat or fish, flatbread or pizza. Making your own za’atar means you always have it handy.

1 Source: article on the Guardian
2 My post on roasted cauliflower with za'atar

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

verdure arrosto con za'atar

or launch the verdure arrosto con za'atar audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

zucchini, onion, tomatoes, zaatar, side-dish

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verdure arrosto con za'atar

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3938 (1)

il fornp e za'atar turasformano verdure estive in un contorno saporito
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Za’atar (Origanum syriacum) è un'erba tipica del Medio Oriente. Con lo stesso nome si indica anche una miscela di spezie che contiene la stessa erba, sumac (sommacco, Rhus coriaria) sale e semi di sesamo. 

Le prime volte ho usato za’atar comprato, un misto di sumac, semi di sesamo tostati, sale, cumino, timo, origano e maggiorana. L'ho finito rapidamente utilizzandolo in piatti come cavolfiore arrosto.1

Poi ho deciso di preparare la mia versione. Ci sono molte ricette per lo za’atar (la miscela). Quella qui sotto è il risultato dei miei esperimenti. Forse un giorno cercherò l'erba za'atar, ma nel frattempo uso il timo secco. 

Per questo contorno ho scelto la combinazione zucchine, pomodori e cipolla dolce. La foto in altro mostra le mie zucchine preferite e una varietà di pomodorini ottima per piatti al forno. La foto qui sotto mostra delle splendide cipolle.



Ingredienti per lo za’atar (miscela con timo secco)

  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml timo secco
  • 1/2 cucchiaino / 2,5 ml origano secco
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml sumac (sommacco)
  • 1/2 cucchiaino / 2,5 ml sale fino
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml cumino in polvere
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml semi di sesamo tostati

Ingredienti per il contorno:

  • 113 grammi cipolle di una varietà dolce
  • 450 grammi zucchine
  • 225 grammi pomodorini
  • 4 spicchi d'aglio, pelati e tagliati in quattro per lungo
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml + 2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di olica
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml za'atar

Per preparare lo za'atar (miscela), pestare in un mortaio timo e origano, poi aggiungere sumac, sale e cumino e pestare ancora un po'. Versare in un vasetto di vetro, aggiungere i semi di sesamo, mettere il coperchio e shakerare.

Per preparare le verdure arrosto, scaldare il forno a 190 C.

Oliare il fondo di una teglia da forno di vetro da 3 litri con 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva.

Tagliare a dadini la cipolla. Tagliare in quarti le zucchine per lungo, poi tagliare a pezzetti non più spessi di 1,25 cm. Tagliare i pomodorini a metà o in quarti per lungo.

Mettere tutte le verdure nella teglia e mescolare. Mettere la teglia nel forno. Dopo 20 minuti, mescolare le verdure. Dopo altri 5 minuti, testare un pezzetto di zucchina: il piatto può essere pronto o necessitare di alcuni minuti di cottura aggiuntivi.

Nel frattempo mettere lo za'atar in una ciotolina e versare lentamente gli altri 2 cucchiai / 30 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva, mescolando per fare una crema.

Quando le verdure sono pronte, sfornarle e trasferirle su un piatto da portata. Versare il condimento sulle verdure e mescolare bene. (Nota: ho scattato le foto prima di mescolare le verdure in modo da mostrare lo za'atar.) Assaggiare e, se necessario, aggiustare di sale.

Servire immediatamente (3-4 porzioni).

roasted vegetables with za'atar / IMG_3936-2

le verdure sono più buone quando sono ben calde
(tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Se preparate lo za'atar in casa lo avrete sempre a disposizione per provarlo in altre combinazioni vegetariane o meno.

1 Il mio post con la ricetta di cavolfiore arrosto con za'atar

Logo_v4Porto le mie verdure arrosto con za'atar sulla tavola del 7° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: spezie e aromi

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese

 

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto la tovaglietta gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentare il prodotto sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

recipe: roasted vegetables with za’atar

| Simona

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vegan zucchini side dish / contorno di zucchine vegano

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

IMG_3821-2

a light, flavorful side dish
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel Honeysuckle Season by Mary Ellen Taylor1 an author I featured in a post last year with her novel Winter Cottage2. Both novels are centered around a mansion, whose walls know secrets that the reader learns as chapter follows chapter and the story moves back and forth between present and past.

In Honeysuckle Season, the protagonist, Libby, finds out who her biological parents were and also finds love and the realization of her wishes. Taylor's novels are centered around strong female characters. Her writing style is enjoyable and the stories keep the reader's attention. If you are looking for a summer read, this is a good candidate.

IMG_3785

zucchini season has started!
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Libby's love interest, Colton, is a widower with two young boys. Their food preferences are what one would expect and what I remember were my brother and my preferences at the same age: we could have eaten pizza for lunch and dinner every day of the week, though maybe part of its appeal was the fact that we didn't eat it as often.

When zucchini season starts I am reminded how much we disliked that vegetable, regardless of how it was prepared. In time, my taste changed, while my brother's didn't: to this day he remains opposed to anything zucchini. That gave me the idea of preparing a zucchini dish with other ingredients that would have made us run away as children. 

IMG_3784

easy-to-make hemp milk is a great ingredient
(linen napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

In recent months I have been experimenting with making non-dairy milk to use not for drinking, but as an ingredient, in particular cashew milk (latte di anacardi) to make chia seed pudding2 and hemp milk (latte di canapa) to use in cooking. Reading the cookbook Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming3 has been fundamental in making me settle on a recipe: what I took from her is the suggestion to finely grind the nuts (frutta secca a guscio) or seeds (semi) first, then mix in the water. I don't add anything nor do I filter the milk to remove solids.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Vegan zucchini side dish

Ingredients for the side dish:

  • 4 ounces / 112 g red spring onion4
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 pound /450 g zucchini
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon berbere (Ethiopian spice mix)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml unsweetened hemp milk (recipe below)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Ingredients for a small batch of hemp milk:

  • 1/4 cup / 1 1/4 ounces / 35 g hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
  • 1 cup / 240 ml water

To make the hemp milk: finely grind the hemp hearts in a small blender. With a small spatula, scrape the ground hemp hearts from the sides and bottom of the blender. Pour the water into the blender, then process to get the milk. Pour into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Shake well before measuring the amount needed, as solids gather at the bottom. (I don't add anything to the milk, nor do I filter it to remove solids.)

For the side dish, chop the onion and mince the garlic. Trim the zucchini, then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat.

Add the onion and stir well. Lower the heat and cook until soft, stirring often. Add the garlic and stir. After 1 minute, sprinkle the berbere and stir well.

Add the grated zucchini, turn up the heat to medium, stir well and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Cover the skillet, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes.

Uncover the skillet, add the hemp milk, sprinkle the nutritional yeast and stir well. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the zucchini are tender to your liking. Sprinkle the sea salt, stir well. Take off from the heat.

Serve warm.

Serves 3.

This dish is light and has a delightful "green" flavor, with a chees-y nuance provided by the nutritional yeast. It pairs well with various main courses, including frittata and legumes.

1 The novel's page on the author's website which includes an excerpt
2 Earlier post featuring a novel by Mary Ellen Taylor
3 The author's website
4 A video explaining the difference between spring onions and green onions (a.k.a., scallions)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

contorno di zucchine vegano

or launch the contorno di zucchine, vegano audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot's Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Small_NFlogoThis is my contribution to the 42nd edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started over 14 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

onion, zucchini, hemp milk, side dish, vegan, Italian cuisine

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contorno di zucchine vegano

IMG_3821-2

un contorno leggero e saporito
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Da piccola detestavo le zucchine, poi per fortuna i miei gusti sono cambiati e adesso mi piacciono molto.

IMG_3785

è cominciata la stagione delle zucchine
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

Durante la loro stagione, che qui è cominciata di recente, le compro ogni volta che vado a fare la spesa al mercato dei produttori. Ogni anno mi diverto ad inventare nuovi modi per prepararle. Qui sotto la prima invenzione del 2021.

IMG_3784

latte di canapa: un ottimo ingrediente, facile da preparare
(tovagliolo di lino de La FABBRICA del LINO)

In questi ultimi mesi ho fatto esperimenti nella preparazione di alternative vegetali al latte, non per bere ma per utilizzare come ingrediente, in particolare latte di anacardi per fare il budino ai semi di chia (la mia colazione quotidiana) e latte di canapa per cucinare. Dal libro di ricette Go Dairy Free di Alisa Fleming1 ho tratto l'idea di macinare la frutta a guscio o i semi prima e poi aggiungere l'acqua. Non aggiungo altri ingredienti e non filtro il latte per rimuovere i solidi che rimangono.

Ingredienti per il contorno:

  • 112 g cipollotto rosso
  • 3 spicchi d'aglio
  • 450 g zucchine
  • 45 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
  • 1/4 cucchiaino berbere (misto di spezio etiope)
  • 30 ml / 2 cucchiai latte di canapa (ricetta qui sotto)
  • 1,5 cucchiai lievito nutrizionale (detto anche lievito alimentare)2
  • 1/2 cucchiaino sale fino

Ingredienti per il latte di canapa:

  • 35 g semi di canapa decorticati
  • 240 ml acqua

Per preparare il latte di canapa: macinare finemente i semi di canapa decorticati. Frullare con l'acqua fino ad ottenere il latte. Versare in un vasetto di vetro e conservare in frigorifero fino al momento dell'utilizzo. Agitare bene prima di versarlo per reincorporare il deposito. (Io non aggiungo alcun ingrediente al latte e non lo filtro per rimuovere le particelle solide.)

Per il contorno, tritare il cipollotto e l'aglio. Pulire le zucchine e grattugiarle con la parte a buchi più grossi della vostra grattugia.

In una padella scaldare l'olio a fuoco medio. Aggiungere il cipollotto e mescolare. Cuocere a fuoco basso fino a quando sia tenero, mescolando spesso. Aggiungere l'aglio e mescolare. Dopo un minuto, spargere il berbere e mescolare bene.

Aggiungere alla padella le zucchine grattugiate, alzare il calore a livello medio, mescolare bene e cuocere per un minuto, continuando a mescolare. Incoperchiare la padella, abbassare il calore e cuocere per 3 minuti.

Scoperchiare, aggiungere il latte di canapa, spargere il lievito nutrizionale e mescolare bene. Incoperchiare di nuovo e cuocere per 4-5 minuti o fino a quando le zucchine siano tenere al punto di vostro gradimento. Spargere il sale e mescolare bene. Togliere la padella dal fornello.

Servire le zucchine ben calde.

Porzioni: 3.

Questo è un piatto leggero dal sapore "verde" al quale fa da complemento la nota nociata del lievito. Accompagna bene diverse pietanze, come frittata e legumi.

1 Il sito dell'autrice (in inglese)
2 Il lievito nutrizionale (o alimentare) è un lievito inattivo, cioè non ha alcuna capacità lievitante. Viene spesso usato per imitare il formaggio in piatti vegani, ma è un'ottima aggiunta alla dieta di chiunque.

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto il tovagliolo gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentare il prodotto sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

Logo_v4Porto il mio contorno di zucchine vegano con latte di canapa sulla tavola del 5° mese del gruppo Fattoria consapevole e solidale: i semi oleosi

La lista delle ricette contribuite questo mese.

 

recipe: vegan zucchini side dish

| Simona

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roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes / melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

| Simona

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eggplant zucchini tomatoes garlic / IMG_3401

farm fresh and fabulous
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown1, a novel that follows the stories of two women, Alice and Eleanor (Nellie). In 2018, Alice and her husband, Nate, move from Manhattan to a house in a town outside New York sold because the previous owner had died. In the basement, Alice finds a cookbook and a box of old magazines. Her neighbor, Sally, tells her a bit about Eleanor, who lived in the house from the mid-1950’s until her death, and gives Alice a set of letters written by Eleanor to her own mother.

The novel alternates between Alice and Eleanor, both struggling in their marriage and holding secrets from their husband, both dealing with the expectations around childbearing, both trying to find their place in the world. As her husband becomes more and more violent, Nellie finds refuge with Miriam, her neighbor and Sally’s mother, just like Alice finds a friend in Sally.

In the sections devoted to Nellie, we see her cooking dishes from a beloved cookbook that belonged to her mother, Elsie. After Alice finds the cookbook, she tries some recipes. Each recipe is given within context: for example, cookies prepared for a neighborhood meeting, Baked Alaska for a dinner party. The nicest recipe-related scene is the one where Nellie recalls making Lemon Lavender Muffins with her mother in their small kitchen. Nellie does almost everything, while Elsie prepares the lavender buds (two teaspoons) and reminds Nellie not to overstir the batter.

One of the recipes in the book is for Tuna Casserole, which uses canned tuna and canned mushroom soup. This type of ingredients is part of casseroles’ success.

[T]he casserole—the all-American meal-in-a-dish that lured skilled cooks of the early 1900s away from the art of scratch recipes to the mechanics of convenience cooking, thus launching a new category in American-style cuisine.

Casseroles could, conversely, lure today’s convenience cooks back into the kitchen, if only to open a can of Campbell’s mushroom soup and throw a handful of noodles, cashews and celery stubs into a dish that would become that evening’s–and maybe even tomorrow’s–supper.2

In the summer, when fresh vegetables abound, I prefer to eat fresh vegetables. Still, I held to the idea of making a baked dish with a small number of ingredients. Rather than taking those from the pantry, I got them from the farmers’ market. This is the time of the year when it is easy to overdo with purchases. A dish of roasted vegetables is a way to make sure you use all your purchases. The side dish is great when freshly baked and leftovers (avanzi) are delicious.

roasted eggplant zucchini and tomatoes / IMG_3411 (1)

maybe not the prettiest dish, but so tasty!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The dish is not particularly pretty, but the raw ingredients are. Recently I’ve been photographing sets of vegetables fresh from the farmers’ market, edible still lives. It’s hard not to be fascinated by the colors: in the photo at the top the eggplant Listada de Gandia is marbled purple, the zucchini Costata Romanesco are light green and speckled and the tomatoes on the vine are Edox3 perfectly red. The herb on the right is winter savory4 (santoreggia montana) from my garden, an herb I use a lot in my cooking.

It is fine to use other varieties of eggplant and zucchini. In fact, the rendition pictured above and below included a purple globe eggplant and I have also used Chinese eggplant (from a favorite vendor at the South Berkeley farmers’ market, who also introduced me to Chinese bitter melon and Korean melon) and yellow zucchini.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 eggplant (or 2 small ones) 12 ounces / 340 grams
  • 2 zucchini 9 ounces / 250 grams
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams cherry plum, cherry or grape tomatoes: a variety that is good for roasting
  • 2 plums or 1 peach 4 ounces / 112 grams, optional but good
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh leaves of winter savory or thyme or a mix of the two
  • 1/4 teaspoon Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning OR a pinch each of ground paprika, cumin, black pepper, ancho or chipotle pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Distribute the olive oil on the bottom of a 3 quart / 3 liter (13″x 9″ x 2″ / 33 x 23 x 5 cm) glass baking dish.

Dice all the vegetables. Eggplant: slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick), then pile 2-3 slices and dice. Zucchini: quarter them lengthwise then slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick). If the zucchini is plump, divide each half into thirds lengthwise before slicing. Tomatoes: halve the small ones, quarter the larger ones, lengthwise. Cut the fruit in bite-sized pieces.

Place all the vegetables and fruit, if using, in the baking dish, sprinkle the herb(s) and seasoning (or spices). Stir to mix. Place the baking dish in the oven. After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir the vegetables. After another 5 minutes, check a piece of eggplant and a piece of zucchini: the dish may be done or may need a few more minutes.

When the vegetables are ready, take the baking dish out of the oven, sprinkle the sea salt and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve out of the baking dish or transfer onto a serving dish and serve. 

Serves 4

IMG_3405

ready for the oven

I confess that I eat the first portion straight out of the baking dish.

1 The novel’s page on the author’s website
2 Casseroles – Main courses for baby boomers in the 50’s, these classic American dishes are easy to prepare, low cost and nutritious [from the LA Times].
3 About Edox tomato
4 About Savory
5 Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning contains ancho chili pepper, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, spices, cumin, citric acid, Mexican oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, cocoa and natural smoke flavoring. [I do not have any business relationship with the company. This is the product I use and I share the link as information.]

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

or launch the melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linens free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, side dish, Italian cuisine

recipe: roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

| Simona

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summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes / contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini

| Simona

jump to Recipe

summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes / IMG_3273

summer on the plate
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The Twenty-Seventh Letter of the Alphabet by Kim Adrian1 is the most engrossing memoir I have ever read and one I heartily recommend. The writing is delicate and evocative. The author tells her difficult, often deeply painful, story through vignettes organized in glossary format. The vignettes work like pieces of a puzzle: as the book proceeds, the reader reconstructs the lives of the main characters—the author, her parents and her sister. Adrian's husband and children also play an important role, one of hope, as we see that she has been able to create a completely different experience for her family.

Ultimately, the glossary’s imposed order serves less to organize emotional chaos than to expose difficult but necessary truths, such as the fact that some problems simply can’t be solved, and that loving someone doesn’t necessarily mean saving them.

In the book we see the author developing a relationship with her father when she is an adult and he's become sober. Her mother's mental illness however, prevents the establishing of an even keel and in the end, long distance is what allows a kind of truce to take hold. 

The book has some references to food, but the part that inspired me is the mother's skill as a gardener, which never fails to surprise the author and the reader, appearing as it does against a background of mental illness.

Vegetable still life with zucchini tomatoes carrots onion

the ingredients, fresh from the farmers' market
(napkin by La FABBRICA del LINO)

My mother was not a gardener, though she always had a pot of basil (basilico) in the summer, a tradition which I have tried to maintain. Last year I was particularly successful and my basil plant lasted until last month, when I planted a new one. The other ingredients in the photo above come from the farmers' market, though I should say that for the last couple of months I have also been eating lettuce (lattuga) from my garden and have been supplying my husband with a variety of leafy greens (chard, kale and tatsoi) in small quantities. 

Zucchini always make me think of my mother: she cooked them in various ways when in season, but as children, neither my brother nor I liked the vegetable. In time, my taste changed (while my brother's didn't), so at least I gave my mother satisfaction when she brought a zucchini dish to the table.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Summer side dish: zucchini, carrots and tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces /  85 g carrot
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 ounces / 56 g spring onion2, red or white, diced small
  • 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon Harissa spice mix (depending on brand and personal preference)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 8-9 ounces /225-255 g zucchini (I particularly like the Costata Romanesco variety) 
  • 5 ounces cherry plum or grape tomatoes
  • 3-4 basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • 3/4 ounce / 20 g freshly grated cheese of choice, optional: if you omit it, the dish is vegan

Scrub carrot(s) well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin, then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in 10-inch/25-cm skillet.

Add the onion, lower the heat and stir, then after 1 minute, add the grated carrot and stir. After 2 minutes, sprinkle the harissa spice mix, stir well and cover. Cook on low heat for 6 minutes, until the onion is soft.

In the meantime, trim the zucchini, then grate using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Uncover the skillet, add the garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini, turn up the heat to medium, stir well and cook for 1 minute. Cover, lower the heat and cook for 3 minutes.

In the meantime, quarter the tomatoes.

Uncover the skillet, add the tomatoes and stir. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the zucchini are tender. Sprinkle the basil and the sea salt, stir well. Turn off the heat, sprinkle the cheese on the vegetables and cover.

Serve warm.

Serves 2-3

IMG_3270

Bring the skillet to the table or transfer to a plate and serve

I have made this dish many times (most recently last night) and a couple of times I have substituted a chopped peeled peach for the tomatoes. Either way, this dish is delicious.

1 The novel's page on the author's website which includes excerpts of reviews
2 A video explaining the difference between spring onions and green onions (a.k.a., scallions)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini

or launch the contorno estivo: zucchine, carote e pomodorini audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

Small_NFlogoThis is my second contribution to the 39th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 13 years ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

onion, zucchini, carrot, side dish, tomatoes, Italian cuisine

recipe: zucchini, carrot and tomato side dish

| Simona

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sweet pepper, onion and zucchini tart / torta salata con peperoni dolci, cipolle e zucchine

| Simona
sweet pepper, onion and zucchini tart / IMG_1261

a favorite dinner fare
(linen by La FABBRICA del LINO)

At a conference this past February I met author Anne Perry and a few days later to I found myself in a bookstore that had a copy of The Cater Street Hangman, first book of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series1. The coincidence was too tempting to resist. I liked the book so much that I read the following three novels in the series: Callander Square, Paragon Walk and Resurrection Row.

Besides being good mysteries, the novels attract me because of their setting: Victorian England. They look at the life of that time with a modern sensitivity. The author explains some situations, because she knows that her readers are not familiar with the social norms of the time, for example the uneasy relationship between upper class people and the Police, some of the norms regulating the movements of servants inside the house where they work.

Thomas Pitt is a police inspector in London. In the course of the investigation at the center of The Cater Street Hangman, Pitt meets Charlotte Ellison, who belongs to an upper-class family. Given that the series is called "Charlotte and Thomas Pitt" you can imagine at least one of the things that happens in that novel, but there is a lot more involving in different ways Charlotte's two sisters, Sarah and Emily. As is usually the case with mysteries, it is difficult to provide details without spoiling the surprise for readers, so I will not say more.

The immediate inspiration for the recipe I provide below is Charlotte's adventures in the kitchen. Raised in a house where the cook and her assistants took care of purchasing food and preparing meals, Charlotte goes through a learning curve as she becomes responsible for both activities in the Pitt household, since her husband's salary does not allow them to have a maid. (Thomas is keenly aware of the situation and shows deep appreciation for his wife's efforts.)

One of the dishes Charlotte sets about to learn to make is the traditional savory English pie. She waits to cut it until her husband comes back home tired and ready to push aside the day's worries to spend some time with his wife (and later their daughter, Jemima). Charlotte's attitude is positive: she does her best, sees where she must improve, and moves forward. And yes, she is more into helping her husband in solving his cases than in mastering cooking, but she does both with positive energy.

I am not married to a detective, nor do I aspire to detective work, but approach my cooking projects with enthusiasm and determination. The latter is particularly useful when what comes out of the oven or a pot is not exactly what I expected. I take notes and revise the plan for the next iteration.

I prefer tarts over pies, so with a nod to Charlotte Pitt, I created a recipe for savory tart using a gluten-free crust made of ground cashews (anacardi), coconut flour (farina di cocco) and butter (burro), which is a variation on the recipe for Coconut Quiche Base from the book The Ketogenic Kitchen by Domini Kemp and Patricia Daly2. I am not following a ketogenic diet, but I like a lot of recipes in the book. My changes to the original have mostly to do with reducing the quantities to make a thinner crust, but also with the preparation.

sweet peppers / IMG_4982

sweet looking and tasting

Once I had the crust, I started experimenting with fillings and given the season, I reached for sweet peppers and zucchini, both abundant at the various farmers' markets where I shop. I described my favorite recipe for preparing those vegetables in a previous post3. I doubled the quantities, because I wanted a vegetable-rich tart. The addition of cheese makes it basically a complete meal. (I use my homemade fresh chèvre.)

The crust can be made and baked ahead. The vegetables can be cooked ahead as well. Assembling the tart and baking it can be done close to mealtime. The ability to prepare the dish in steps is another characteristics that makes it appealing. 

peppers, zucchini and onion / IMG_1258

hurrah for colorful vegetables

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Sweet pepper, onion and zucchini tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

  • 60 g raw cashews
  • 55 g coconut flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon Harissa spice mix or sweet paprika
  • A pinch of salt
  • 55 g cold unsalted butter

For the filling:

  • 4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 10 ounces / 280 g sweet onions, like cipollini or walla walla
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Harissa spice mix
  • 14 ounces / 400 g sweet Italian peppers
  • 12 ounces / 340 g zucchini
  • Fine sea salt, to taste
  • 2 ounces / 55 g fresh chèvre
  • 3/4 ounce / 20 g freshly grated cheese, like manchego or cheddar

Prepare the crust
Put the cashews, coconut flour, spices and salt in a food processor and process until the cashews are finely ground. Add the butter cut into small cubes and pulse briefly a few times until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

To bake the tart, I recommend using a 9 or 9 1/2-inch / 23-24 cm fluted round tart pan with removable bottom, about 1 inch / 2.5 cm high, optionally lined with a circle or parchment paper (the buttery crust does not stick to the bottom, but as I cut it in the pan, the paper helps protect the metal surface from scratching).

Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Put the crust mix in the tart pan and shake to distribute evenly. Press the mix to make an even layer all around. The butter should be soft enough at this point to allow you to easily shape the mix with your hands. Otherwise, wait a little bit. To keep my fingers less oily, I prefer the butter not to be completely soft.

Bake for 9-12 minutes, until the crust turns golden at the edge (see photo below). Take out of the oven and set aside until ready to assemble the tart.

blind-baked cashew and coconut crust / IMG_1259

partially baked tart crust
(linen by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Prepare the filling
Slice the onions lengthwise into thin sections no wider than 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm and separate the layers so you have short ribbons.

Cut the peppers lengthwise. Carve out and discard the stem portion, and the seeds and ribbing inside. Cut each half in half crosswise and finally slice each piece into short ribbons no wider than 1/4 inch / 1/2 cm.

Trim zucchini top and bottom, quarter lengthwise, then cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices.

Warm up the olive oil in a large skillet (I use a cast-iron one). Add the onion to the skillet, stir to coat and let cook on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, then add the garlic. Continue cooking, stirring every now and then.

Five minutes after you started cooking the onion, sprinkle the spice mix and stir well, then add the peppers, stir and continue cooking, stirring every now and then.

Five minutes later, add the zucchini, stir and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover and cook on gentle heat until the peppers are of the desired tenderness (20-25 minutes). Every few minutes, uncover and stir.

When the peppers are ready, sprinkle the salt, adjusting the amount to your taste and stir, then remove the pan from the heat. Let cool, then add the chèvre and stir well to distribute it evenly.

IMG_1260

ready for the oven

Assemble and bake the tart
Preheat the oven to 350 F / 177 C.

Transfer the filling on the prepared crust and distribute it evenly. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top.

Bake for 30-32 minutes. Take out of the oven, slice and serve right away. Serves 4-8.

I cut the tart in the pan. The crust is crumbly and as a result the plating may not be pretty, but the first bite of the tart will make you forget everything else.

Once you have tried making the tart and decided that you like it, you can certainly play with the filling, particularly as sweet pepper and zucchini season is coming to an end on the Northern hemisphere. I have successfully used grated carrots (carote) and shredded cabbage (cavolo cappuccio) as alternative and the result has always been excellent.

1 Anne Perry's website and the page devoted to the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series
2 The book's website
3 Post including my recipe for Sweet peppers with onions and zucchini

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

torta salata con peperoni dolci, cipolle e zucchine

or launch the torta salata con peperoni dolci, cipolle e zucchine audio file

Small_NFlogoThis is my second contribution to the 34th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started some time ago and that I continue to host.

The roundup of the event.

Fr2018-150I am also contributing to the October edition of Foodies Read the reading/cooking event hosted by Heather of Based on a True Story.

Visit the linkup page to see what others have read and cooked.

FTC disclosure: I have received the linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

sweet peppers, Italian peppers, onion, zucchini, tart, gluten free, cashews, coconut flour