Fasolakia (green beans with potatoes and zucchini)

I know, summer is almost over and I'm just now offering you an idea for what to do with the bounty of green beans and zucchini many of you are growing in your gardens right now - or finding at your local farmers market.

Either served as a light meal or as a side, fasolakia is a traditional Greek vegetarian dish consisting of green beans, potatoes, and that fertile garden vegetable that you always seemed to have planted too much of - zucchini.

This is all you will need for this simple summer recipe to serve the family (it makes great leftovers too!):

2 lbs. fresh green beans (I've used frozen in the winter as well)
2 - 3 large juicy ripe tomatoes, grated
1 onion, chopped
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
2 - 3 Zucchini - I know these things range greatly in size, but you want to cut them into halved 3 inch pieces
salt/pepper

First, prepare the beans and wash them well, taking off the ends. If you're patient - which I not always am - you can remove the strings down the center of the bean as well, depending on how fresh or tough they are. Next, in a deep pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat and add the chopped onion, sautéing until tender. Now add the beans, grated tomato, and good amount of salt and pepper to taste along with 1 cup of water. Simmer over medium heat. After about 20 minutes, add the potatoes and zucchini and simmer for another 25 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

The trick is to get the water content just right - you want to add only enough water as needed to cook all the veggies. They do release more water as they are cooked, so usually there is no need to add more. And as always, serve this dish with some fresh baked bread to soak up all that tasty sauce left on your plate!

Greek Boureki

With summer just around the corner comes an abundance of fresh zucchini from the garden. So instead of sending your kids stumbling down the street, arms overflowing with your garden's bounty to give away to the neighbors (sorry, childhood memory...), here is one baked dish that you won't mind eating once a week and as always, is simple to prepare and a pleasure to devour!

What you'll need:

3 medium potatoes
3 small zucchini
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large ripe tomato, grated (see former blog regarding tomato grating)
1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper
1 package plain goat cheese (6 oz.)

Begin by peeling the potatoes and slicing them into rounds about 1/8 inch thick and sprinkle with sea salt to let rest a couple minutes. Slice the zucchini in the same manner and thickness. Place sliced potatoes and zucchini in a large bowl, then add the chopped mint, grated tomato, olive oil, water, and a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Combine the ingredients with your hands - it's the best way to mix! Pour mixture into a 9x13 baking dish and crumble the goat cheese over the top. Place in the oven and bake uncovered at 425° for 50 minutes or until the cheese begins to turn a golden brown.

Eggplant Parmesan

I'm really not sure what to call this, as it really is just a medley of vegetables - eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes with Parmesan cheese. I enjoy this dish year-round and especially when eggplant is in season - I love the little 'Spanish/European' eggplants that are similar in size to the zucchini and try to buy them when I can. I also find this dish to be a more satisfying vegetarian meal and as always, quite simple to prepare.

First I'd like to reiterate how I determine my portions for ingredients. When I am in my kitchen at home I generally aim to cook a generous meal for 2 people as I like having a little bit of leftovers. I do find however, that most of these recipes can be easily modified and that it's not necessary to follow the portions with precision. I'm one of those people to tends to eyeball things - rarely measuring or timing anything, unless it comes to baking of course, so I encourage you to freestyle with your portions as well.

What you'll need:

3 zucchini
3 Spanish/European eggplant (or one regular eggplant)
3 medium potatoes
1 large ripe tomato
Whole Parmesan Cheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper

Heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil in a deep pot on the stove. Quarter the potatoes and add to the olive oil. Quarter the zucchini and eggplant and add to the pot. You want to be sure that all the veggies are in larger pieces so they do not fall apart when cooking. Grate the tomato (as seen in previous blog) and add to the pot along with the salt and pepper to your taste. I like to salt my veggies after they are cut and let them sit for a minute allowing the salt to soak in.

When you have everything in the pot, add a good cup of water and cover. When it comes to a boil, turn it down to simmer until potatoes are cooked - about 25 to 30 minutes depending on what type of potato you're using. Do check on it once or twice while it's simmering to see if you need to add a little more water. The trick with this dish is getting the liquid just right since the zucchini and eggplant will release more water as they cook, so just keep it in mind.

After the veggies are cooked, cut up some Parmesan cheese into 1 inch cubes and add them to the pot. You want the cheese to be melted just slightly, but remain intact.

It's now ready to serve - be sure to have some bread on the table to soak up all the extra sauce on your plate!