August is the month when summer vegetables are at their heartiest. Eggplant, juicy red tomatoes, summer squash and peppers are all falling off the vines, waiting to be picked and served up in one of your favorite recipes.
The fact that vegetables are so plentiful does not mean, however, that you have a desire to spend hours in the kitchen. One of my favorite recipes for cooking up summer vegetables takes very little time to prepare, the flavor is amazing and I promise you it will leave your family asking for more.
The key to preparing this recipe is to follow the directions to the letter, as it is the technique that makes all the difference. So, gather up the summer harvest from your garden or local farmer’s market and fill your kitchen with the wonderful aromas and flavors of summer.
Enjoy!
Sauteed Summer Vegetables over Couscous
Ingredients
- 2 medium, firm Italian eggplant, cut into small cubes
- 2 zucchini, cut into small chunks
- 2 medium yellow squash, cut into chunks
- 3-4 ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters, and then cut cross-wise to form chunks
- 2 dozen peeled garlic cloves
- Peeled and grated fresh ginger, about 1 teaspoon
- I large red onion, diced
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher or sea salt to taste
- Fresh ground black pepper
- 1 large jalapeno pepper, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary and thyme)
- 2-3 tablespoons honey
Technique
Spread two layers of paper towels on a cookie sheet. Place cut and cubed eggplant on paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt (be careful to use only a few sprinkles). Salt will help to release the excess water from the eggplant. Cover the eggplant with another two layers of paper towels and then place another cookie sheet on top of the eggplant, bottom down and weight it down to help release the water. Leave to drain for about 30 minutes.
In the meantime, put peeled garlic cloves in small sauce pan and add olive oil. Place sauce pan on stove and heat over a medium flame until it just begins to sizzle. Lower heat to lowest setting and continue cooking garlic until it just begins to turn brown around the edges. Remove from heat and set aside.
Using an oversized skillet, use enough of the olive oil from the garlic to generously coat the bottom. Heat until very hot. Add the drained eggplant. Lower the heat just a little and allow the eggplant to cook for about 10 minutes before moving it around. Important note — stirring too much will cause the vegetables to become mushy, so resist the temptation. Using a steel spatula or large wooden spoon, turn the eggplant to brown on the other side. Add one tablespoon of honey and cook an additional 5 minutes.
Add the squash and a little more olive oil from the garlic and repeat the process used to brown the eggplant. Add the red and yellow onions and again, do not stir but allow to brown before moving around. Add another tablespoon of honey. Stir slightly and allow to cook an additional 5 minutes. Add herbs, jalapeno pepper, ginger and cooked garlic cloves to mixture. Stir slightly. Add tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Allow to cook until tomatoes are just tender, but not mushy.
Serve over whole grain pasta or couscous.
Couscous
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups couscous
- 1 tablespoon garlic olive oil
- Sea salt to taste
Technique
In a medium size sauce pan, bring water to roaring boil. Add sea salt and olive oil to water; stir. Add couscous to water; stir, cover with a tight fitting lid, and turn off heat. Allow to sit for 5-7 minutes. Remove top and toss with a fork to fluff grains.