Alicia's Famous from Our Community Table
Alicia's Famous from Our Community Table
Greetings Our Community Table Readers!
I wish I had a garden. One that grew all manner of wonderful things. I have a small herb garden, and it does fairly well. And one slightly traumatized tomato plant named Rory, given to me by my sister mid-summer. Alas, when Rory was just a wee plant, he was left in my sister’s hot car for far too long on giving day, thusly becoming quite dehydrated and droopy. I’m happy to say he’s long since recovered and has grown into a fine, stout, and healthy specimen. Yet his tomatoes remain very small and green and never seem to ripen. And he’s grown so tall that he’s taller than his growing frame, which directly lead to his toppling over one evening, giant pot and all. Poor Rory. When I discovered him the next morning, lying on the ground so piteously, I immediately set him to right. But it was too late. Two of his best tomatoes had snapped off and the others were nowhere to be found. I can only imagine that some creature of the night had come, joyfully making off with its fine tomato prize.
You’re probably thinking this recipe is going to feature tomatoes, and while there are tomatoes involved, it’s actually a recipe for zucchini. I just didn’t have anything terribly interesting to share about zucchini…well, anything except for this amazing recipe!
As it so happens, I have friends with gardens who frequently bring magnificent, photo-worthy cucumbers, tomatoes, and zucchini, of which I now have an abundance. So, what does one do with this bounty of incredibly beautiful produce?
The recipe I offer today was borne of one such circumstance, many years ago, when in a different house, I did have a garden of my own. And a crazy abundance of zucchini. My daughter, Alicia, was very young at the time, and while her elder sister was away at school, she just loved to “help” me in the kitchen. This recipe, a true family favorite, was literally willed into existence out of sheer zucchini desperation.
There we were one late morning, standing in front of the stovetop, I, caramelizing the onion and garlic, and Alicia, assisting me with her tiny little hands, adding various spices when called for, as only a sweet-natured 3-year-old can do. A pinch of salt, a bit more thyme, tomatoes in, zucchini chopped and waiting. Well, when the dish had finished cooking, it was so delicious that she gleefully dubbed it, “Alicia’s Famous,” and so it has remained!
Somewhat like a single-note ratatouille, it is quite delicious as is, but you are free to add eggplant and bell peppers, or anything you may like, to the mix if you wish. Topped with a little Parmesan cheese is just exquisite.
Lovely warm, room temperature, or even cold, straight from the fridge, we find it’s a wonderful way to use the abundance of beautiful, bountiful zucchini that find their way into our kitchens this time of year. And as always, it is my pleasure to share this “famous” family recipe with all of you here, at Our Community Table.
Cristyne Porile
Community Contributor
Alicia’s Famous
A delectable mélange of onion, tomato, zucchini & spice
INGREDIENTS
1 medium to large onion, peeled, cut in half the long way and thinly sliced (1/4-inch wide or less)
3-4 healthy cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 can (28 ounce) Italian San Marzano tomatoes with their juice, chopped
5-7 zucchini squash cleaned, cut in half the long way, and sliced into ¼-inch pieces. The number of zucchini necessary will be dependent on their size. If they are large, fewer, if they are smaller, more—you be the judge of how many you add—it should be a good amount, though. This is a vegetable mélange, not a tomato sauce.
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste (I use Kosher salt and salt each layer as I go)
½ teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
Pinch red chili pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil (optional)
DIRECTIONS
In a large sauté pan on a medium heat, warm 3-4 Tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add sliced onions along with a generous pinch of Kosher salt and sauté until translucent.
Add the garlic, pepper, chili flakes, oregano and basil (if using) and sauté an additional 3 minutes or so, adjusting heat so nothing sticks or burns.
Add the tomatoes and sauté over a medium-low heat until the fat slightly separates from the onion and tomato—about 10-15 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Add the sliced zucchini and 1 or 2 generous pinches of salt (zucchini is very watery and flavorless) and continue sautéing until zucchini is very tender and flavors have all had a chance to come together—almost like a ratatouille, about 40-50 minutes. Make sure to taste for flavor balance so you can add additional salt & pepper as you like, if it needs it.
Remove from heat. Can be served hot, warm, or cold.
Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.