Wednesday 26 August 2015

Simple Summer Supper Dish ~~~

Gentle Reader ~~~ although I have not had any vegetables from The Garden this Summer, I am blessed that there is a small, seasonal fresh vegetable stand just a few moments walk away from my Cottage.  I can buy in season, fresh picked, home grown vegetables that are the next best thing to my own produce, so I can still have that 'Plot to Plate' experience.

A few days ago, on the Country Living {UK} Facebook page, I found a recipe for a simple Courgette and Tomato Bake. Two evenings ago I made it and it was quick, easy, and delicious.

Last night, I made an adapted version to accommodate what vegetables I had on hand.  It is so delicious I just had to share it with you.  Serves 1, so adjust accordingly.

In a heavy saucepan, warm a tablespoon of olive oil {or cooking oil of your choice} and slowly soften for 10~15 minutes without colouring:
1 thinly sliced small onion,
2" piece of leek,
1/4 green pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 small aubergine, 1 cm dice
1/2 courgette {zucchini} 1 cm dice
8 pods of Broad beans, podded
salt and pepper to taste

Add 1 crushed clove garlic and cook for a further minute.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour mixture into an oven proof dish with a tight fitting lid. I used a tagine. The lid isn't tight on a tagine, but the design means the juices do not evaporate. I think it is better than a tight fitting lid!
Arrange two large, sliced tomatoes over the top of the mixture, sprinkle lightly with Golden Caster sugar {optional, but tomatoes benefit greatly during cooking from the addition of a small amount of sugar} and bake at Gas Mark 5 for about 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are cooked and there is a lovely liquor in the base.
Remove the lid, strew with a chiffonade of fresh basil {preferably from the pot you have on the kitchen windowsill!} Sprinkle on 30 gr of grated cheese {I used vegetarian Parmesan~style cheese}  Return to oven for 10~15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and golden.

Serve immediately, with fresh, crusty bread to soak up all the delicious liquor.   Eat a plate of this and you've had all of your five~a~day and a bit more on one sitting ~~~

Bon Appétit !

Part cooked and Layered Vegetables in Tagine base ready for the oven

The Tagine ready for the oven

Almost finished! Strewn with basil and sprinkled with cheese ready for finishing

Finished dish ~~~ cool slightly before serving with crusty bread to mop up the liquor

Of course, you can add other vegetables that you have to hand. Shelled fresh peas, or sliced green beans, French beans, sweetcorn niblets, baby beetroot, even a handful of baby spinach; right at the end of cooking ~~~ I love these sorts of recipes you can adjust to whatever is on hand, don't you?

Until next time~~~
Sincerely yours
Deborah




FOOTNOTE
A couple of people have asked me for my recipe for Courgette {Zucchini} Chutney.  Here it is. I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I do!

Ingredients
6lbs courgettes/zucchini
2 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 lb tomatoes, peeled and chopped {I have used the equivalent of chopped canned tomatoes, well drained, in an emergency}
1 lb onions, chopped
2 lb sultanas
grated rind of 4 large orange
4 lb sugar
1 pint malt vinegar
1/2 oz ground cinnamon

Method
1. Chop courgettes/zucchini into rings and sprinkle with salt. Stand in a colander over a bowl, or in the sink, to allow the juice to drain off. Rinse well and dry.
2. Put all ingredients in a preserving pan and simmer over a low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture has thickened. Chutney is ready to be bottled when a wooden spoon drawn across the surface to make a channel does not fill up with vinegar.
3. Pour into warm, sterilised jars and seal immediately.

Store for at least 1 month before eating. This is delicious with cheeses, game, and turkey. It makes a great addition to any gift hamper, and I often find the empty jars returned to me in the hopes of a refill!

24 comments:

  1. I'm looking forward to trying your vegetable dish. It looks delicious and just the kind of food I love. Thank you for sharing. X

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks tasty but our leeks are nowhere near ready I always think of them as a winter vegetable so would use onion or shallot

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The leeks just happen to be on hand in the fridge, not from the garden. I wanted to use them up. The more allium in my food, the better!

      Delete
  3. Looks very tasty, I found a really cheap and good quality fruit and produce stall up in the town yesterday, we are meat eaters but I do make vegetarian dishes also.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, you have amazing vegetables in your market. This is a great side dish too for meat eaters.

      Delete
  4. Thanks for sharing these recipes from you Shire kitchen!! And, your tagine is lovely!! Hugs from across the sea ~ Donna E.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My tagine was a bargain at just £5.00 on sale!

      Delete
  5. This vegetable recipe looks delicious. Thanks for sharing and have a blessed day.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sounds wonderful, Debs! I am going to try this! Thanks for sharing. Needing a bit of a pick-me-up from across the Pond! This may do it!! Jane xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you have now made and enjoyed it, yes?

      Delete
  7. Now that looks so tasty and I love courgettes ...
    Thanks for sharing.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mmmmm! This looks and sounds so yummy, Deb! Your Tagine is just beautiful. I haven't seen one before and look forward to learning more about this special oven-proof dish. Thanks for sharing such goodness from your kitchen! ♡

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you would really love tagine cooking. It is simple and incredibly tasty.

      Delete
  9. That looks delicious. And I like how versatile it is. Thanks for the recipes.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Darlene. I'm sure you will come up with an adaptation from your veggie plot.

      Delete
  10. My mouth is watering, Deb! Such a healthy yummy sounding vegetable recipe. I do like that you can use whatever you have on hand--but your combination sounds great. Your tagine is beautiful--I do not own one, but I certainly could use one of my cast iron pans with a lid. The chutney is interesting sounding also--how nice you gift these to your friends. ♥

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A lidded cast iron pot would be great too. I just love experimenting, and I'm never put off by not having the listed ingredients either.

      Delete
  11. your tagine is beautiful, brings back good memories of Morocco. the food looks wonderful and kudos to you for actually giving measurements...I'm one of those throw it in the pot cooks. lol

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't often do measurements! I'm a throw it in the pot too. No two meals come out the same ~ sometimes a good thing, sometimes not.

      Delete
  12. That looks delicious and summery. Now tonight it is cool and I think I will need to have something akin to a roast.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, the weather is calling for comfort food, gone are the salad days of summer now.

      Delete