A Pot of Yum

Before I started trippin' the other day, I had planned to tell you all about the veggie concoction I had simmering on the stove top while I was wreaking havoc in the chicken pen, and how it was a delightfully fresh taste of the garden amidst the heavy foods of winter.

I was going to tell you about how, yes, I was silly and bought "summer" squash in January, along with eggplant, but I balanced it with the robustly flavorful tomatoes I canned from our very own vines, and zucchini I decided to freeze from the garden this year. Let's face it, "fresh" tomatoes make up for just about anything, so this ended up being super flavorful.

Now, before you look at the ingredients and think, "I could never get my family to eat this -- too many weirdly colored vegetables," I have to tell you, I know of only one kid of the 40 or so people I've made this dish for who hasn't loved it. Somehow, all the flavors magically come together for yum in this recipe.

Usually, I bake this dish, but I needed to throw together a quick meal for Mike before he headed out one night to work, so I made this on the stove top and it was still fantastic.

Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
4 small/medium summer squash
3.5 cups of zucchini (probably 3-4 small/medium)
1 large onion
1 qt crushed tomatoes*
3 T olive oil
4 cloves fresh garlic
Lots of:
Basil
Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Parmesan cheese (when serving)
Mostaccioli or penne pasta

Slice or cube squash and eggplant, dice onion. Combine all ingredients except tomatoes and parmesan cheese in a heavy pot. Cook over medium high until vegetables begin to soften (about 10-15 minutes). Pour in tomatoes and simmer for 30-45 minutes, depending on desired crispness of vegetables. 

Serve over al dente pasta and sprinkle generously with grated parmesan cheese.

Oven variation: Bake covered at 375 F for 45 min - 1 hr.

* In summer, I bake this dish, and the last 15 minutes, I remove the foil and cover the surface with a layer of slightly overlapping thinly sliced Roma tomatoes. (Omit crushed tomatoes from recipe.) My husband and kids don't like fresh tomatoes (WHAT?!?) but all agree this MAKES the dish.

Oh, and Macy says "Hi."

Love from the farm,
Teri