Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Zucchini Season Looms...


It's still early days, but we are heading into summer and the annual Veggie Fest when people with gardens urge produce on you right and left. By summer's end, some ardent gardeners are forced to become stealth vegetable depositers. You go out to get the newspaper and nearly trip over a brimming basket of tomatoes or zucchini.

Richie to the rescue! He's been reading "New York Cookbook" by Molly O'Neill and yesterday announced that he was going to make Loretta's Italian Zucchini Soup, went into the kitchen and did! I think it's wonderful that he can read a cookbook, decide something sounds good and rather than handing the book to the wife, gets up and goes into the kitchen and makes it himself!

LORETTA'S ITALIAN ZUCCHINI SOUP
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
one 16-oz. can plum tomatoes
1 lb. small, firm zucchini, washed and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
Pepper to taste
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese
6 fresh basil leaves, torn into tiny pieces

Heat the olive oil, add the onions and cook them till they're translucent.
Add the tomatoes, crushing them up against the side of the pan with a spoon, until their juice evaporates and the tomatoes are thickened - about 15 minutes.
Add the zucchini and potatoes and add enough water to cover them by about 2 in. Cook for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft.
Add the beaten egg in a thin stream, stirring as you do with a wooden spoon and cook an additional two minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in the cheese and basil and serve with crusty Italian bread.

No comments: