Veggin’

It may be the Tour de France but some stages do dip into other countries…as shall I. I’ve been focusing on French dishes but today’s stage ended in beautiful Barcelona, Spain. That means, it’s time to whip up a Paella!

There are literally thousands of ways to make paella. I used a lot of the vegetables that I received in my weekly vegetable delivery (including a lot of the green onions!) Feel free to throw in whatever vegetables you may have on hand beyond what I have listed below – carrots, asparagus, peppers, capers, whatever. The key is throwing it in at the right times so you don’t end up with a squishy vegetable mess. The more delicate the vegetable, the later you throw it in. Be sure to let the cover sit on the pan to let everything steam and cook, but check to make sure the liquid isn’t burning off too quickly or the rice won’t be able to cook very well.

Paella is actually very easy to make and it becomes a really hearty dish with not a lot of added extra fat.  It’s a great dish to serve to a crowd and doesn’t require a lot of babysitting while it cooks. (And, if you ask nicely, perhaps someone will get up and check on the paella when it’s cooking so you don’t have to…)

Megabeth’s Paella

• 4 green onions, white parts minced
• ½ red onion, minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 2 – 3 cups vegetable stock (Go here to learn how to make your own…)
• 1 cup uncooked white rice (if you use brown, increase the cooking time
• 3 corn cobs, cut into thirds
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 14 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered
• 1 teaspoon saffron, crushed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper

In a small bowl, put crushed saffron in 1 Tablespoon of water and set aside.

In a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil on medium. Add onions and garlic and cook until translucent and softened.

Add white rice, stir to coat with the oil, and cook until beginning to brown.

Add one cup of vegetable stock and tomatoes.

Add saffron and the water it was soaked in, paprika, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.

Turn heat to high and bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to low. Add zuchinni, yellow squash and corn. Cover with a tight fitting lid and let simmer for 20 minutes on low.

Life cover, stir, and add artichoke hearts, and more of the vegetable broth. Replace cover and continue simmering until rice is cooked through – another 20 – 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add additional broth or water if rice begins to dry out in the cooking process.

Moving right along on this Vegetarian Culinary Tour de France, I’ve adapted this gratin from a 1999 recipe featured in Fine Cooking. How appropriate. Lance Armstrong won his first Tour de France the same year this recipe was published. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Either way, I have found a really good use for all the summer vegetables that are piling up in farmers markets and on my counter with this Zucchini, Squash and Tomato gratin. Spend some time cooking the onions slowly so they come out soft and not crisp. And, finally, if you don’t go overboard on the cheese, you can have a light dish with very intense flavors.

Zucchini, Yellow Squash and Tomato Gratin
Adapted From Fine Cooking
June 1, 1999

For the onions:

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced in circles, then cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

For the gratin:

• 3 ripe red tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4-inch slices, drain off any excess liquid
• 3/4 lb. (about 2 small) zucchini or other green summer squash, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3/4 lb. (about 2 small) yellow summer squash or golden zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 – 3 Tablespoons Herbs de Provence
• 2 Tablespoons basil, freshly chopped
• 1 tsp. sea salt
• 1-1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesean
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a skillet or pan. Add onions and cook until limp and browning – about 20 minutes. Stir frequently. (Turn down the heat if the onions cook too quickly.) Add garlic and saute for another 1 or 2 minutes. Spread the onion garlic mixture on the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle some of the herbs and all the basil on top of the onion mixture.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Toss zucchini and squash slices with a drizzle of olive oil (about 1 1/2 Tablespoons), 2 Tablespoons herbs de provence, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Beginning at one end of the baking dish, layer the tomatoes overlapping them slightly over the width of the dish. Then sprinkle with a little of the cheese. Then, lay a row of zucchini, overlapping the tomatoes, and sprinkle that row with a little cheese. Add an overlapping row of yellow squash, and sprinkle with the cheese. Then start over with the tomatoes. (I slid the tomatoes a little under the row of yellow squash so things didn’t topple over.)

Keep going with the layers until the pan is filled.

Grind some pepper, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and then drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top. Put about 3 teaspoons of herbs de provence in the remaining cheese. Stir to combine. Then sprinkle over the top of the entire pan. (I’ll let you decide how much cheese to throw on the top. Since this was already part of a creamy decadent meal, I used only a little bit of the remaining cheese.) Cook until the juices bubble and the top is well-browned – a little more than an hour. Let it cool a little bit before serving.

I’m a little slow in posting this week because of this recipe. You see, in the making of this recipe I was using a mandolin slicer and discovered there is a reason for the safety handle. I sliced one of my fingers pretty good on the blade.  After a few days of recovery, I finally pushed up my sleeves and headed back into the kitchen…and definitely remembered to use the safety handle.

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in my 1986 edition of “The Cookbook for People Who Like Animals”. (I always laugh when I use this cookbook because I think the title reads as if to say, “Ooh, yum! Animals!” ) It came out nicely. Paprika and tamari were two flavors I’d never think to put together but they complimented nicely on the squash.

Broiled and Breaded Crookneck Squash
Adapted from “The Cookbook for People Who Like Animals”
Serves 2 as a side dish

2 yellow crookneck squash
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 cup tamari
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t paprika
1/4 t onion powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup panko

Cut squash into 1/4 inch thick slices. (Note: mine were cut quite thin and had a tendency to soak up a bit too much of the oil mixture. Next time I’ll make them thicker.) Combine oil, tamari, and spices in a bowl.

Dip each squash slice into oil. (Note: The operative word is “dip”, I soaked some of the slices which made them come out a bit oily.)

Preheat oven to broil. Place squash slices on baking sheet without overlapping.

Sprinkle panko crumbs on top of each slice.

Place under broiler for 3 to 5 minutes until soft and the panko is browned. (I used two baking sheets, while one was under the broiler, I set up the second pan.)

This recipe is perfectly written so that the pasta finishes up around the same time the sauce finishes cooking. It’s a bit decadent for me to have as a weekly meal – lots of butter, oil and heavy cream – but it’s a easy to whip up quickly when you’re looking for a unique comfort food.

Penne with Creamy Golden Zucchini
from”A Year in the Vegetarian Kitchen”

Serves 4 as a main dish

6 small golden zucchini or summer squash (about 1 1/2 pounds) [Note: I used 2 large yellow squash]
Salt
1 pound penne [Note: I used a wheat penne]
1 T unsalted butter
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 t minced fresh oregano leaves
1/3 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the pasta.

Halve each zucchini lengthwise, then cut each half crosswise into 1-inch chunks. Slice each chunk into 1-inch-long pieces about 1/4 inch thick.

Add 1 tablespoon salt and the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the foaming subsides, add the zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and oregano and cook just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the cream and 1/3 cup cooking water from the pasta pot, using a measuring cup to scoop out hte water. Cook just until heated through, about 30 seconds. Remove the sauce from the heat.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta. Toss the pasta and succhini sauce, adding more cooking water as necessary to moisten the pasta. Serve immediately, passing the grated cheese at the table. [Note: Or, in my case, down the living room couch...]