Olive Oil & Garlic

These round* zucchinis went straight from our garden and into the kitchen. My wife remembers her Italian mother buying them by the dozen when they were in season and then stuffing them with ground meat or bread crumbs, depending on what they could afford at the time.  Here I have stuffed them with a mixture mushrooms, onions and tomato sauce.  I was never too fond of zucchini until I tasted them fresh from the garden but now I like them.  Good thing too because our garden is producing several of these softball sized ones every day!  This is an heirloom variety, tondo chiaro di Nizza.

Stuffed Zucchini

Ingredients

2 Round zucchinis

8 Large white button mushrooms

1 Small onion

1 Clove garlic

1 Cup tomato sauce

4 Slices mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Method

Wash the zucchinis and place them in a large sauce pan with enough water to ensure that they float.  Bring the water to a boil and let them boil gently for about 10 minutes, until the zucchinis just start to get soft.  Don’t overdo it or the zucchinis will turn to mush when you cut into them.  Take the zucchinis out of the water and put them in a bowl of cold water until they are cool enough to handle.  Cut them in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, making a cavity that you can fill.

Dice the mushrooms, onion and garlic into small cubes.  Saute in olive oil for about 5 minutes, then add a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, stir it in and turn off the heat.  Fill the zucchinis and bake at 350 F for about 15 minutes.  Place a slice of cheese over each stuffed zucchini and put them under the broiler for a minute to melt the cheese and brown it slightly.  Serve hot on a bed of tomato sauce.

* (Okay, technically they’re spherical but most people just call ‘em round)

Photo courtesy of Mari & Nacho

Now is the time of year when we start to see fresh broad beans in the garden and in the markets.  Also known as fava beans, they are popular in Spain and Portugal, among other places.  This is a simple dish that you’ll find in a lot of restaurants in Spain, and housholds as well.  Spanish cured ham is hard to find in the United States, but  its italian cousin, prosciutto, is much easier to obtain, and makes a fair substitute.

Broad Beans with Ham

Ingredients

2 cups fresh broad beans

1/3 cup diced cured ham

1 large clove of garlic, chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 onion, sliced (optional)

salt

Method

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic and ham for a few minutes.  Add the broad beans, turn down the heat and cover, simmering the beans for about 10-15 minutes until they’re soft.  Serve hot.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/zordor/ / CC BY 2.0

This is a traditional dish from central Spain that makes a great side dish.  I have also seen it served as a tapa in bars.

Pisto Manchego

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

1 medium onion

2 small zucchini

2 cloves of garlic

4 cups of peeled and chopped tomatoes

1 small bunch of chopped parsley (about 2 tablespoons)

Chop the onion, peppers, zucchini into 1/2 inch pieces and mince the garlic.  Heat the oil over medium heat in a saute pan or an earthenware cazuela.  Saute the vegetables for a few minutes, and then add the tomatoes.  Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes, until the stew has a very thick consistency.  It is often served with a fried or hard boiled egg on top, as shown in the photo.