Here are some tried and tested ways to cook our delicious organic vegetables as side dishes or as main meals. The recipes are extremely economical as there is no meat involved and are guaranteed to delight even the most determined carnivores amongst you.
BAKED MARROW WITH CORIANDER
I marrow
I medium onion
6 to 8 tomatoes peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic
Handful of fresh basil
Salt
Freshly milled black pepper
1 tspnful coriander seeds
Olive oil
Our round organic marrows are so sweet and tender they are delicious simply boiled and served as a part of a meal however this scrumptious recipe is a real treat.
Peel the marrow and cut it into cubes, sprinkle it with salt and leave it for an hour or two before cooking it. Rinse off the salt before cooking.
Make a tomato sauce with chopped garlic, chopped onions and fresh basil and cook for about 15 minutes. Use fresh tomatoes if you can and pop them in boiling hot water so you can skin them easily. Fry garlic and onion in olive oil. When transparent add tomatoes and fry on a high heat for a few minutes before turning down and simmering. Add basil and seasoning.
Take a teaspoonful of coriander seeds and crush them in a pestle and mortar.
After 15 minutes add the cubes of marrow to the tomato sauce and then add the crushed coriander. Correct the seasoning and add freshly milled black pepper. Mix well and then cover the casserole and put it in the oven on a low gas, about 170C, and cook for about 45 minutes. Uncover for 10 minutes and cook so the juices dry up a little.
BAKED MARROW STUFFED WITH AUBERGINES AND TOPPED WITH CHEESE SAUCE
If you are out to impress or have dinner guests this recipe is amazing: no-one will believe there is no meat in it!
I marrow
2 aubergines, sliced
6 to 8 fresh tomatoes chopped
1 medium onion sliced
2 cloves garlic
Fresh basil
2 oz fresh breadcrumbs
1 egg. beaten
Cheese sauce
Half a pint of milk
4 oz strong cheese
I tspnful English mustard (optional)
2oz flour
Grated cheese for topping
Chop the end off the aubergines and slice them lengthways or cube them. Put them in a colander, sprinkle with salt and put a weight on them. Leave for about an hour and rinse off.
Fry crushed garlic and sliced onion in olive oil until transparent. Add the aubergines and more oil if necessary (aubergines absorb a lot of oil) and fry until tender. Add the chopped tomato and fry on a high heat for a couple of minutes. Turn down and simmer. Add basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Cool mixture and then add fresh breadcrumbs and beaten egg. Mix well. Pop into the fridge for an hour before stuffing the marrow.
Peel the marrow and take out the seeds. Sprinkle the inside with salt and leave to stand for an hour or two. Rinse off salt and dry. Stuff with the aubergine mixture.
Make a standard cheese sauce but if using the English mustard add with the flour. (The mustard amplifies the taste of the cheese). Pour the cheese sauce over the stuffed marrow and sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes on 180C being careful not to burn the topping.
If you want you can cut the marrow into rounds and arrange them in a casserole and then stuff them and cover them with the sauce. This will cut the cooking time considerably. When a knife easily pierces the marrow the dish is cooked.
/>SPINACH AND SWISS CHARD
The Mediterranean diet includes cooked and uncooked “salads and practically any vegetable can be prepared in a host of different ways as a side dish or main meal. The Calasparrians tend to cook spinach and resist any suggestions that it makes a delicious raw salad. However, it is an excellent substitute for lettuce, is much tastier and easier to digest. Serve with other salad vegetables or on its own with salt, a little good olive oil and a sprinkling of Vinegar from Modena.
SPINACH is also delicious in omelets, the Spanish tortilla or quiches and if you buy some of the ready made filo pastry it makes a delicious stuffing for pasties with cream cheese.
The residents of the South of Italy make a wonderful spaghetti and spinach soup with hot chili peppers which is perfect for those cold winter evenings (recipe below).
SWISS CHARD is one of the few green vegetables my picky youngest son will eat. The Calasparrians love it and, although we pick a crate full every week, it simply flies off the stall.
The easiest way to prepare it is to cut the rough edges of the stems and cut it lengthwise along the stalk and the leaf. Plunge it in salted boiling water and cook until tender. It only takes a few minutes. Drain and put it in a serving dish. Add a little olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice to taste. Eat at room temperature or cold.
SPINACH AND SPAQHETTI SOUP
Dried spaghetti
About 15 spinach leaves per person
Garlic
Olive Oil
4 fresh tomatoes (or half a tin)
Chili to taste
Salt
Fry the crushed garlic in olive oil until it begins to brown. Add the chopped chili and fry. Add chopped tomatoes while oil is very hot and fry for a few minutes on a high heat until it has disintegrated. Turn the heat down and add the spinach leaves gradually letting them sweat. There will appear to be a lot of spinach but it will soon subside into the pan. Stir it into the tomato sauce and simmer until cooked. This will take about 5 to 8 minutes.
In a large pan cook the spaghetti until it is “a dente.” Drain away some of the pasta water until the cooked spaghetti is barely covered. Mix the spinach mixture in well (preferably with a fork) and serve immediately.
