Receta Summer Vegetable Gratin; the update
I'm starting to feel like the ant when I would really like to spend some time as the grasshopper!
I know it's important to get ready for winter, but it's hard to be doing firewood when it's a hot, sunny summer afternoon.
I really want to say 'Let's go for a bike ride; we can do this in October.'
But I don't.
Maybe next summer we can be a little more like grasshopper....
But for now it's building a cement wall.
It doesn't look like much, I know.... But, allow me to explain.
There is a dirt ramp, on the left, going from the barn into the cellar. On the edge of the ramp was a low stone wall and to the right of the stone wall was a deep hole, the length of the wall.
We needed two things: a place to store firewood inside so it would stay dry and be easier to get at; a place to dispose of all the rubble one accumulates / makes in restoring old stone farmhouses.
As you can see we are accomplishing both.
Mon mari has thrown all the non-decomposing stuff - rock, rubble, broken tiles, etc. that we have had to move / remove into the hole, completely filling it up. Now he's building a cement wall to hold it all in place. Then he'll pour a cement top to make it flat and Voila! A flat platform for firewood!
Whilst he's been playing with the cement he's also made caps for our big chimney (it rained inside) and a trapdoor for the water meter. He's been a busy lad with his cement mixer!
To keep me happy he's done most of the tile around the tub.
I just have to tell myself how happy I'll be that we'll have dry firewood next winter... Sigh!
In the meantime I'm working on how to get all of my garden vegetables in the same dish.
I think I succeeded - but haven't a clue what to call this....
This also used up the ricotta and pesto rosso left from the Zucchini Rolls.
Summer Vegetable Gratin
- 6oz (180gr) chard, stems roughly chopped, leaves sliced
- 2 shallots (preferably freshly dug), chopped
- 1 medium courgette (mine was yellow summer squash), sliced into rounds
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 2 tbs fresh basil, snipped
- 2 tbs fresh parsley, snipped
- 4 tsp olive oil
3 tbs pesto rosso
Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a large skillet. Add shallots, chard stems, and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Spread in the bottom of a baking dish. Top with sliced chard leaves and herbs. Drop the ricotta by small spoonfuls on the chard leaves. Top with the courgette slices, pressing down to compact it all. Spread the pesto rosso on the courgette slices. Drizzle with remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Cover and bake, 400F (200C) for 30 minutes.
Even the shallots were from my garden! Next time I may add sweet corn... Or green beans...
Love Barilla's Pesto Rosso. If I talk about it enough, do you think they'll send me some?