Zucchini Caponata With Olive Dirt Recipes

EASY CAPONATA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add celery and cook uncovered until softened, about 1 minute. Drain in a colander and immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes to stop the cooking process. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat; add onion and celery and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add eggplant, red bell peppers, and zucchini and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, vinegar, and sugar. Cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Add olives, raisins, pine nuts, and capers. Season with salt and pepper and cook until flavors are well combined, about 5 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat; stir in chopped basil. Cool and serve at room temperature.

EDIBLE DIRT

Steps:

• Finely chop 1 cup pitted kalamata olives in a food processor. Spread in a ring on a piece of cardboard lined with a double layer of paper towels. Microwave 5 minutes on high, then 7 more minutes at 50 percent power. Regrind in the food processor.
• Serve the "dirt" with any salad.

ZUCCHINI AND OLIVE FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 12-inch circle. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over the dough. Using the tines of a fork, prick the dough all over. Arrange the zucchini slices in a single layer on top of the dough. Drizzle the zucchini with oil. Bake the dough for 18 to 20 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove the bread from the oven, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of oregano, the cheeses, and the olives. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until the cheeses are melted and bubbly.
• Sprinkle the flatbread with the remaining oregano, cut into wedges and serve.

SUMMER SQUASH CAPONATA

Steps:

• Pour 1/2 inch olive oil into a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add enough zucchini to cover bottom of pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Let zucchini sizzle and brown slightly. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Continue cooking zucchini and summer squash in batches, adding oil to the pan as necessary.
• In the same skillet, cook the onions over medium-high heat, stirring, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and transfer onion mixture to bowl with zucchini.
• To the bowl, add red-pepper flakes, sugar, vinegar and capers. Toss gently together. Taste and adjust, making sure the seasoning is bright, with a balanced sweet-sour flavor. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes and taste again. (If time permits, let the flavors marry for an hour or more before serving. The caponata may be refrigerated for up to 2 days; bring to room temperature to serve.)
• Transfer mixture to a large platter. Top with olives and hard-cooked eggs, halved or quartered. Garnish with parsley and basil leaves. Serve at room temperature with toasted bread for making crostini.