T
There is currently an abundance of large, flavorful courgettes, plump tomatoes, and peppers. These vegetables thrive in regions from Madrid to Marrakech, and this week, I’ve drawn inspiration from those areas. To bring out their best flavors, I recommend cooking them over a fire, frying them in plenty of olive oil, or roasting them until they become charred, sweet, and caramelized. These three dishes are best enjoyed at room temperature, in the garden, accompanied by sunshine and a glass of something enjoyable.
Stuffed Tomatoes with Capers, Currants, and Pine Nuts
This dish was inspired by my trip to Sicily, where the local produce combines beautifully with Moorish spices, dried fruits, and nuts. If you like, you can serve it with fresh buffalo mozzarella.
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 1 hr 30 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
8 large ripe tomatoes
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 80ml extra for the stuffing, and extra for drizzling
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp allspice
1 tsp pul biber
200g fresh breadcrumbs, made from day-old stale bread, such as ciabatta
80g currants, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained
100g pine nuts
60g capers, rinsed
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
Sea salt and pepper
Basil leaves, to garnish
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Cut the top off each tomato and keep the lids. Scoop out the flesh with a teaspoon, roughly chop it, and set it aside.
Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium-low heat, then fry the onion until soft. Add the garlic and, once fragrant, add the cinnamon, allspice, and pul biber, and continue frying until fragrant. Add the chopped tomato flesh, cook until it becomes jammy, then let it cool.
In a large bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, currants, pine nuts, capers, oregano, parsley, and the fried onion mixture. Season to taste. Pour in 60ml olive oil, mix well, and then stuff the mixture tightly into each tomato cavity.
Arrange the tomatoes in an ovenproof dish that holds them snugly. Place the reserved lids on top, drizzle with more olive oil, and bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the tomatoes are tender but still maintain their shape.
Serve at room temperature and garnish with basil leaves.
Baked Courgettes with Romesco Crust
For enhanced flavor, I recommend roasting the peppers over an open flame or on a barbecue grill. You can serve this dish as a main course with a green salad or as a side dish alongside grilled meat or fish.
Prep: 10 min
Rest: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 large green courgettes
2 large yellow courgettes
Olive oil, for frying and drizzling
5 large tomatoes
2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
A few sprigs each of fresh oregano and thyme, leaves picked
For the romesco crust:
2 red peppers
40g toasted hazelnuts
1 garlic clove
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
100g sourdough bread
2 tsp sherry vinegar
30ml olive oil
A good grating of parmesan
1 handful finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Start by making the romesco crust. Heat the grill to medium-high and grill the peppers, turning occasionally, until their skin becomes dark and blistered. Transfer them to a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and let them steam for 20 minutes. Peel and deseed the peppers, then tear the flesh into strips and pat dry with kitchen paper.
In a food processor, blitz the hazelnuts until they become a coarse crumble. Transfer them to a bowl. Put the pepper strips and garlic in the food processor, add the paprika, bread, and vinegar, and pulse until coarse crumbs form. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Stir in the hazelnuts.
Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Cut the courgettes diagonally into ½cm-thick slices. Heat a splash of oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgettes in batches for two minutes on each side, until they turn golden. Thickly slice the tomatoes and then arrange them with the onions and courgettes in a 1.2-litre ovenproof dish. Drizzle generously with olive oil, season with salt, and scatter over the oregano and thyme. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the tomatoes shrivel and the onions become soft and slightly caramelized.
Top the dish with the romesco crust and a generous grating of parmesan. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, until the crust becomes crisp. Scatter over the parsley and serve.
Roast Red Pepper, Watermelon, and Feta Salad
A jar of roast peppers opens up endless possibilities. In this recipe, they lend a bittersweet dimension to a refreshing watermelon and feta salad.
Prep:
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
