Treasured Heirlooms

As promised in the previous post, I'm excited about sharing the recipe for this dish which is totally a cele-veggie-bration of a few of my favorite flavors.  (think garlic, shallots, rosemary… ahhhhh je t'adore)

This is a dish that is just a combination of a bunch of delicious ingredients.  So, I can't really take any credit for the fact that the final product is the bombdiggity! (Thank you Urban Dictionary.com; "bombdiggity - a description of something that is better then excellent, great, good, amazing, et cetera.")

This dish combines:  heirloom tomatoes, shallots, garlic, green beans, fresh cilantro and rosemary, squash, zucchini, crushed black pepper, and a little bit of olive oil.  As the vegetables bake, all the flavors begin to mingle into a cornucopia of aroma and taste that is sincerely sensational.

Shopping:
- 6 heirloom tomatoes of various shapes, colors, and size
- 6 medium shallots
- handfull of green beans
- 6 garlic cloves
- about 3/4 c. each of fresh cilantro and rosemary
- medium squash
- medium zucchini
- crushed black pepper
- olive oil cooking spray

Tools:
- 9 x 13" baking dish
- cutting board & knife

Preparation:  Start by coating bottom of baking dish with olive oil cooking spray.  Rinse and dice tomatoes into 6-8 wedges each, depending on the size of the tomato.  Peel and chop shallots into about 1/4 to 1/2 inch chunks.  Mince garlic cloves.  Rinse and snip tips of green beans, then cut into bite size pieces.  Chop up cilantro and rosemary (once removed from the stick).  Cut zucchini and squash into bite size pieces.  Combine all ingredients in baking dish, spray with olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh crushed, black pepper.  Bake on 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.  Veggies are done when they are tender but still retain a little crunch.  When you remove the dish, as you stir the vegetables to help combine all the cooked-down ingredients, you should have a generous amount of liquid.  That is good stuff!

Okay.  You see how the vegetables still retain their shape?  They are firm enough so that you still hear a nice "Crunch, Crunch, Crunch" between your ears when enjoying the dish; they're tender but none of the vegetables should be mush.

I did not eat that sprig/chunk of rosemary by the way… I just thought it would look pretty in the picture.  This photo was taken about a day after I baked it so, the flavors had even more time to soak each other up.  This is one of those dishes that, as he's eating it, my husband always lets out an affirmation of approval, usually in the form of an, "Uh… SO good…"  

Man approved veggies?  Check!

Try this recipe, minus the green beans, as a soup.  Once the dish has finished baking, empty all contents (juices, seasonings, veggies… the whole shebang) into a blender and purée until it reaches desired consistency.  I think it makes a pretty yummy soup whether you leave it a little chunky or blend it until it's pretty much smooth.  Served hot or cold, this one is a tasty treat.

XO & All that Jazz,
Rachel