The courgettes were my big failure this season. I grew a mixed variety from seed, started them early, planted them in the ground with lots of worm castings and other goodness, then… nothing. They just stopped growing. It’s probably just from not enough water: this past summer has been ridiculously dry. We’ve had two, maybe three pathetic little ones, but that’s it! From like, eight plants! Ah well, next year I’ll try planting them somewhere else and hope for the best.
First zuchinni flower of the year, and she’s a female flower! The plant has no male flowers to fertilize it yet, but I am seeing a little male flowerbud that could possibly open during the day, and if a bee sniffs this out and lands on both, we’re looking at the first zuchinni within a week! I am so ready to eat zuchinni!
Other delights discovered today whilst walking the tunnels and fields with Sean: vibrantly purple decorative-variety kale (good for eating too), an orgy of carrots, baby baby baby courgette (that’s what they call zucchini here) and tendril-y pea shoots. #kale #carrots #courgette #zucchini #peashoots #natoorasourcing #cornwall #vegetabletravels #eatlocal #food #foodstagram
Cucumber and courgette noodles in a mango, lime and almond butter “dressing” with a few extra chunks of mango and some pumpkin seeds! Been trying to eat a few more raw meals here and there but didn’t fancy a smoothie or a salad - so this was born! Sounds a little odd but was gorgeous.
I vegetables. They are awesome but it’s essential to fuel your body with more nutritious food. Hence, I add beans, a beautiful source of plant based protein, to my ratatouille and cook it in one big frying pan instead of the oven. The oven > the pan but not when you try to save time.
It’s my way to cook it. Please don’t comment it’s not ratatouille. I added “kinda” in the title
1. What is required:
1 courgette*
1 aubergine*
1 bell pepper
1 can of rinsed red beans (or any beans tbh)
juice of 1/3 lemon
1 small onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 jar of tomato sauce
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
dried oregano (optional)
black pepper & salt to taste
* or 1 zucchini and 1 eggplant if you’re from the US
2. The most difficult step of any meal : dice the onion and mince the garlic
3. Fry the onion and garlic cloves in a big frying pan for 3 minutes. Use around 1 tbsp oil if you don’t have a non stick frying pan.
4. Roughly chop all the remaining vegetables. Add them to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add beans, tomato sauce, spices, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Mix well. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
6. Admire the full pan of colourful meal.
Don’t stare at the pan for a long time. It’s better to eat the meal warm although I ate it cold directly from the fridge because I didn’t have time for heating and it was still good.
Yesterday was chill, but today is a proper Spring day, warm with an expense of blue sky and heaps of sunshine. It’s a day to enjoy lunch in the garden, amidst the fragrant blossoms and the pop of colours blooming flowers paint on the grass, enjoying the light and observing the birds or reading a good book. This simple, hearty and bright Springtime Chicken Pasta Salad makes this even easier, turning Sunday’s leftovers into a generous and flavourful quick meal! Happy Tuesday!
Ingredients (serves 1):
½ cup frozen broad beans
1 ¾ cup cold, cooked whole-wheat pasta (such as penne, farfalle or fusilli)
Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add broad beans, and cook, about 5 minutes. Drain broad beans, and immediately plunge in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and cool. Set aside.
Spooncold penne into a medium bowl. Add leftoverRosemary Cougette slices (about half a large courgette).
Peelbroad beans.
RemoveRosemary Roasted Chicken meatfrom the bones, and cut into small chunks. Addcold Chicken chunks to the bowl. Add reserved broad beans, and drizzle generously withLemon Dressing. Toss gently to combine and coat in Dressing. Garnish with freshly picked chervil, if desired.
ChillSpringtime Chicken Pasta Salad, at least half an hour in the refrigerator, before enjoying, with a glass of chilled white wine, like ChardonnayorSauvignon Blanc.
Yesterday was chill, but today is a proper Spring day, warm with an expense of blue sky and heaps of sunshine. It’s a day to enjoy lunch in the garden, amidst the fragrant blossoms and the pop of colours blooming flowers paint on the grass, enjoying the light and observing the birds or reading a good book. This simple, hearty and bright Springtime Chicken Pasta Salad makes this even easier, turning Sunday’s leftovers into a generous and flavourful quick meal! Happy Tuesday!
Ingredients (serves 1):
½ cup frozen broad beans
1 ¾ cup cold, cooked whole-wheat pasta (such as penne, farfalle or fusilli)
Bring a small pot of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add broad beans, and cook, about 5 minutes. Drain broad beans, and immediately plunge in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and cool. Set aside.
Spooncold penne into a medium bowl. Add leftoverRosemary Cougette slices (about half a large courgette).
Peelbroad beans.
RemoveRosemary Roasted Chicken meatfrom the bones, and cut into small chunks. Addcold Chicken chunks to the bowl. Add reserved broad beans, and drizzle generously withLemon Dressing. Toss gently to combine and coat in Dressing. Garnish with freshly picked chervil, if desired.
ChillSpringtime Chicken Pasta Salad, at least half an hour in the refrigerator, before enjoying, with a glass of chilled white wine, like ChardonnayorSauvignon Blanc.
This simple and tasty Rosemary Roasted Chicken and Courgettes makes a lighter, vibrant and flavourful Sunday Lunch on a sunny Spring day! Happy Sunday!
Ingredients (serves 2)
1 fluffy sprig fresh rosemary
½ onion
1 large courgette, rinsed
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken thighs
¼ teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt flakes
¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ cup water
Preheat oven 200°C/395°F.
Removerosemary leaves from the stalk and finely chop them; set aside.
Peel and slice onion. Cut courgetteinto slices.
In a roasting tin, combinecourgetteandonion slices. Add half of the chopped rosemary, along with the fleur de sel andblack pepper. Drizzle with olive oil, and toss, with clean hands, to coat in oil,herbandseasoning.
Season chicken thighs on both sides with fleur de sel,black pepper and remaining rosemary. Rub gently into the flesh. Sit chicken thighs onto the courgetteandonion slices, and drizzle with olive oil. Pour waterat the bottom of the tin.
Place tin in the middle of the hot oven, and roast, at 200°C/395°F, 35 to 40 minutes.
ServeRosemary Roasted Chicken and Courgettes hot, with a side of fluffy brown rice. It pairs well either with a chilled light white Bordeaux, or a fruity red like a good Saint-Chinian.
In a medium, deep, nonstick skillet, melt Capon Fatover medium-high heat.
Peel and finely chop onion. Seed and chop bell pepper. Add chopped onionandbell pepper to the skillet, and cook, a couple of minutes.
Dicecourgette, and stir into the skillet. Cook, a couple of minutes more. Add minced garlic,dried thymeand dried basil, and cook, 1 minute.
Drainwhite beans and rinse them under cold water. Drain them once more, thoroughly, and stir into the skillet. Fry, 3 minutes.
Roughly chop Whole Peeled Tomato, and stir into the skillet, along with its juice. Season, to taste, with saltandblack pepper. Stir in Hot Pepper Sauce. Then, stir in water, and bring to the boil.
Halvecherry tomatoes.
Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, stir in cherry tomatoes, and simmer, 5 minutes or so. Stir in caster sugar until completely dissolved.
ServeCourgette and Tomato Beans hot, with a slice or two of toastedWholemeal Loaf.
