If you have a vegetable garden or have gone a little crazy at your local grocer or farm market, you're most likely looking for different ways to use summer produce. Look no further.
Here are a couple of recipes, adapted from the cookbook Every Day Food: Great Food Fast (Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Inc., 2007), that use the seasonal glut of zucchini, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and any other veggie you have on hand that would taste good roasted. For those of us who have a grill or barbecue on hand, by all means go ahead and put it to work. I've included a grilling option.
Be sure to make the fresh salsa recipe to accompany the crisp tostadas. I rarely prepare my own salsa, but after tasting this recipe I'm hooked. I don't think I'll ever go back to storebought.
ROASTED OR GRILLED SUMMER VEGETABLE TOSTADAS
Serves 4
. What You Need:
3 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into half inch width pieces (about 1.5 pounds)
3 large sweet peppers, cored, seeded and cut into half-inch width pieces
A half medium red onion, cut into 1-inch wedges
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grates if grilling
salt and pepper to taste
4 medium-sized flour tortillas
4 ounces feta or goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
1 lime, cut length-wise into quarters (optional)
basil for garnish (optional)
. What To Do:
In a large bowl, toss zucchini, peppers and onions with three tablespoons of olive oil. Season well with salt and pepper. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Set aside.
To roast vegetables, preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Place zucchini, peppers and onion on a large rimmed baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden and slightly caramelized. (Hint: to get this effect don't crowd vegetables on the sheet or toss them around too much while cooking.)
In a medium, non-stick skillet, toast tortillas over medium heat for one minute on each side or until golden.
If grilling, heat the grill to medium-high and lightly oil the grates. Working in batches, grill veggies until tender and lightly browned. Total cooking time is about eight minutes. Turn once during cooking process to ensure both sides are evenly grilled. Set aside. Grill tortillas for a total of two minutes turning frequently to prevent burning.
Immediately pile roasted or grilled veggies on top of
grilled veggies on top of each tortilla and dot with cheese. Drizzle with lime juice, if using. Serve with fresh tomato salsa.
FRESH TOMATO SALSA
Makes 3.25 cups
. What You Need:
5 vine-ripened tomatoes, cored and cut into quarters
A half medium red onion, finely minced (about half a cup)
1 jalapeno chile (ribs and seeds removed), finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
A half cup chopped fresh cilantro
juice of 1 lime
A half teaspoon salt
. What To Do:
Remove seed sacs from each tomato quarter and dice flesh into quarterinch pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl and add red onion, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Stir to combine and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow flavours to meld. If making further ahead, place in refrigerator for up to three days.
Linda Watts is a registered dietitian. Send your questions to [email protected].
