I missed last month’s Cottage Cooking Club, so this month I decided to take on only one new recipe and try and catch up on the June recipes I’d chosen.
Marinated Courgettes (Zucchini) with Mozzarella
My pick for this month was one I knew Kevin and I would both like. Zucchini is one of our favourite vegetables and this marinated salad is perfect for a hot summer’s evening. Even if it requires turning on the stove for a short while. The zucchini is supposed to be cut into long, thin strips, but I picked up some zebra-striped courgettes at the market and didn’t want to lose the stripey effect, so I cut them into thin medallions instead. My favourite part of this salad was how intense the lemon zest and garlic become once infused into the olive oil. Those flavours permeate the zucchini, along with the basil I’d picked from my garden. I also enjoyed the contrast of the cold bocconcini (in place of buffalo mozzarella) against the room temperature salad.
Once my own zucchini moves beyond the blossom stage, I’ll be making this salad often.
My June was busier and more eventful than I’d like, so cooking and blogging had to take a bit of a back seat. I didn’t have time to make all of the dishes I thought I would, but here’s a short round up of the ones I did get to try.
Vegetable Tempura with Chilli Dipping Sauce
First up, gluten-free vegetable tempura. I used Dorie Greenspan’s recipe for tempura, substituting a gluten-free flour mix, and then served the tempura with the River Cottage dipping sauce. You can read about my mishaps in this post, but the tempura, once we were able to sit down to it, was a hit. I loved that Kevin had an opportunity to eat something he hadn’t had since having to go gluten-free, but I’m not a fan of deep-frying, so I don’t think we’ll be revisiting it any time soon.
Honey Roasted Cherry Tomatoes
I’m a huge fan of simple treatments for summer produce. It comes and goes so quickly, why hide its flavour? That said, I can always get behind a technique that doesn’t mask flavour so much as intensify it. Roasting tomatoes does just that. The River Cottage method is simple, tomatoes tossed in a bit of honey, olive oil, and garlic, then cooked in a slowish oven. But what you get is even more amazing than the tomatoes straight off the vine. I used cherry tomatoes, unseeded, and got a lot of delicious juice with my roasted tomatoes. That’s something you might want to avoid with bigger tomatoes, but here it was a gift.
I made these for my parents, taking a little taste for myself. The tomatoes reminded me of a honeyed sauce and that’s how Mom and Dad used them – they made a big pot of pasta and tossed it with the tomatoes, juice and all. A heart-healthy, flavourful meal.
Frittata with Summer Veg and Goat´s Cheese
This is my favourite dish from River Cottage Veg so far. I used a big pile of spinach, along with radish leaves, garlic scapes, thinly sliced radishes and green onions, and fingerling potatoes. I added some rosemary and thyme, then finished it with goat cheese. There’s nothing better for brunch than frittata, as far as I’m concerned. This one was so full of vegetables, it didn’t need any accompaniment, really, but I served it with salad from the garden, anyway.
I love how easy it is to eat healthily in the summertime, don’t you?
Intrigued by this month’s recipes? Buy the book and join us.
Here are the links to the rest of the group’s posts for this month. I encourage you to check them out – you’ll meet some wonderful bloggers and get some great inspiration for vegetarian eating.
One Wet Foot 
Dear Teresa, love what you did with all these wonderful recipes – the Marinated Courgettes are a true winning recipe, no matter whether you use green, white or yellow ones or a mix – so glad that you are equally as happy about this recipe as I am. The Frittata is still waiting to be made but yours sounds incredibly delicious – I do not know what I am waiting for..have to make that recipe.Fun to read that your parents enjoyed the Honey-Roasted Tomatoes and how considerate and creative to make the Tempura gluten-free and use the dipping sauce recipe from the book! You are making me smile – this is summer time cooking at its best and this is what this group is all about – seasonal, easy, delicious cooking!
Thank you for participating in the Cottage Cooking Club!
Liebe Grüsse, Andrea
Very, very nice, Teresa. I think we all are surprised (or, just forget) how busy we get in the summer. I am still glad Andrea kicked off this Club when good and fresh veggies were available so we’d get a good headstart. Those of us who began with her are hanging in there and various bloggers join in every month. I am having a good time. I loved, loved, loved the frittata. And, what’s not to enjoy about those honey tomatoes. I haven’t done the tempura yet. I’m not into fried foods either but do want to try that. Everyone but me made the zucchini strips and enjoyed them. If I just had the time to do it all, huh? Nice post.
All of your dishes look wonderful, but that lemony zucchini is definitely calling to me; it was such a big hit with everyone who made it, I’ll definitely have to try it. And your frittata sounds delicious, such a great way to use whatever beautiful produce you have on hand.
Teresa, such lovely choices, and such lovely meals! I thought that the zucchini was delicious, and think your presentation is beautiful! And your catch-ups!! I want to make the tomatoes again, I did think they were delicious, but think they would be nice to have on hand to perk up other things. And your fritatta… well, to be honest, I don’t know that I would have thought of that combination – but that’s something I love about this group – thinking of something new!! I hope you enjoyed your dishes as much as I loved seeing/reading about them!!
(btw, your soup recipe choice for FFWD was outstanding!!)
Hi Teresa, your dishes look wonderful, so clever to make the tempura gluten-free.
Your choices look great, Teresa! I loved the marinated zucchini – I don’t think it matters how it is sliced – it’s all about the taste! I would not want to lose those pretty stripes either. I absolutely loved the honey roasted tomatoes as well – so simple and delicious. And the tempura, I too am not a big fan of fried foods, and the fact of all that oil being wasted, still I thought it was quite tasty. Your frittata sounds delish, makes me wish I had made this as well.
Our garden hasn’t produced much summer squash yet at all this year. I really hope that it picks up. I loved the marinated zucchini too, and hope to be able to make the dish again this summer. Your frittata sounds delicious. What a great combination of spring vegetables.