Oh boy, it's been a minute. And by a minute, I mean 7 months since my last recipe post. I could give a general excuse about how "life got so crazy!" or "it was too much!" but honestly, I just haven't opened my personal computer for anything other than Gilmore girls since January. Still an excuse, but not basic. Well, actually, it's very basic. I'm babbling.
This weekend, I moved. Finally got everything out of my 1 bedroom apartment in the city: the first place I've ever rented (thanks, on campus apartments), lived in alone, and truly made my own. It will definitely hold a special place in my heart, but I can't say I'll miss my rent bill! My new apartment is 7 blocks north, and I get to share it with one of my first and one of my favorite friends in Kansas City. I already love being that much closer to the farmer's market, which was the inspiration for tonight's dinner.
Summer squash. Tomatoes. Peppers. You simply cannot avoid them in the summer! I wanted something homey, something warm and cozy (despite it being the middle of July) and thought a summer vegetable stew would be just the thing. I moseyed on down to the River Market and picked up some adorable little squashes, the sweetest bundle of carrots, succulent cherry tomatoes, crisp bell peppers, and some essentials, like onions, lemons, and garlic. All of this, combined with the spectacular tomatoes from a friend's backyard garden, and a freshly baked baguette made for the most delicious, clean, summer dinner.
Summer Vegetable Stew with Crostini
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
1 sweet onion
1.5 cups carrots, chopped
6 cloves garlic
4-5 tomatoes, diced
1 cup chicken broth
5 sprigs thyme
1 large zucchini
1 large yellow squash
2 bell peppers
1 tablespoon lemon juice
10-12 basil leaves
Baguette, halved and sliced
Olive oil
Salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste
Instructions:
Be a prepared cook. I suggest doing all of the prep work ahead of time to save you stress. Add salt, pepper, and chili flakes to taste as you cook. I would estimate that I used about 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, and 1 teaspoon chili flakes.
Dice onion, slice carrots, crush and finely chop 6 cloves of garlic, and dice the rest of your vegetables into 1/2 inch chunks.
Heat large stock pot over medium heat (my setting was 7). Add enough olive oil to completely coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes, until onions become translucent. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes, chicken broth, and thyme (whole sprigs). Cook for amount 20 minutes, or until tomatoes become stewy (not a word, I know) and start to fall apart.
Add squash, bell peppers, and lemon juice. Let simmer for 15 minutes, until squash becomes semi-soft.
While your stew is simmering, cut slices of your halved baguette and brush generously with olive oil. Place bread on the grill (I used my trusty George Foreman grill) for 5-10 minutes until you can see grill marks and the bread is crispy.
Chiffonade your basil and throw it into the stew once it has reached peak stewiness (still not a word, I know). Serve in plate-bowl hybrids with crusty bread on the side to soak up the delicious broth.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is so versatile! You can add more broth to make it a soup, experiment with seasonal vegetables, and truly make it your own! hope you enjoy. Remember to tag @thebarefootalli in all of your cooking endeavors!
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