From Nigel Slater's Tender
2-4 Large Peppers
Small or Cherry Tomatoes, chopped
Olive OIl
Basil
Salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise. And place into a roasting pan large enough to hold all the pepper halves.
Place 1-2 basil leaves in each pepper. Then fill each pepper with chopped tomatoes, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the peppers and tomatoes are soft and blistered, about 45 minutes. Serve with a fresh baguette.
Corn, Zucchini and Chevre Salad
Zucchini
Corn
Chevre
Basil
Lemon
Salt and Pepper
Grill the corn (we leave it in the husks), then remove the kernels. Slice zucchini lengthwise. Lightly coat with olive oil and salt and pepper. Grill lightly. Chop into bite size pieces.
Combine the corn and zucchini. Squeeze in juice from 1/2 a lemon. Chiffonade the basil. Add it to the corn and zucchini. Spoon chèvre over the top.
Risotto with Tomato, Eggplant and Mint
1 eggplant
2 medium tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and finely chopped)
5-6 basil leaves torn
4 cups veggie stock
1 cup unwashed risotto 2/3 cup Parm-Regg (I use pec. romano)
1 small onion peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
1 T finely chopped mint
Peel the eggplant and cut it lengthwise into 1" thick slabs. Brush the slabs lightly with olive oil and dust lightly with salt and pepper. Lay slices on broiling tray about 4" from heat source. Broil until both sides are lightly browned. Cut into 1" dice.
Heat the stock and keep it hot over very, very low heat. Put 3T olive oil into large, heavy, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Put in the onion; stir fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and basil; stir fry for a minute. Add eggplant; stir fry for a minute. Then, add rice and stir fry for 1 minute. Pour a generous ladle of stock and turn heat to medium. Stir the risotto until the stock has been absorbed, and then add another ladle-ful. Keep stirring and adding stock until all the stock has been used up or the rice is fully cooked (minimum of 22 minutes). Add the cheese and stir until it has disappeared into the rice. Sprinkle the mint over and drizzle quality olive oil over the top. Let sit for a minute or two before serving. (Serves 3-4. Adopted from Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian" 1999).
Cheesy, Saucy Eggplant
eggplant
tomato sauce of your choosing
mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh basil, sliced
olive oil and salt
Peel and slice eggplants thinly long wise. Place on a baking rack over a baking sheet and brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Bake 15-20 minutes @ 350, removing from oven halfway through to flip and oil/salt the other side. Remove from oven. Add a dab of sauce, a sprinkling of basil and cheese to each slice. Bake another few minutes until cheese is melty.
Ratatouille
Eggplant — cubed and sprinkled with salt
Zucchini — cubed and sprinkled with salt
Sweet Peppers — sliced
Sweet Onions — sliced
Tomatoes, chopped
5-6 Cloves of garlic, diced
Basil, coarsely chopped
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
Rice or pasta
Parmesean cheese
Start by preparing the vegetables.
Heat 1T of olive oil in a stock pot. Cook garlic for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer the tomatoes.
Meanwhile, heat 2T olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add peppers and cook until just softened. Remove and set aside. If necessary, add more oil to the pan. Cook onions until just soft, set aside.
Increase heat to high. Add 2 T oil to the pan. Cook zucchini until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add another 2 T oil to the pan and cook eggplant until browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
Add all the cooked vegetables to the simmering tomatoes. Simmer until the dish is desired consistency. Up to one hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over rice or pasta with plenty of grated parmesan cheese.