Simple Summer Sauce from the Garden
“Summertime…and growin’ herbs and veggies in the garden is easy.”
Not quite the actual Gershwin lyric, I know. And I am also cognizant of the fact that planting and maintaining a garden is not necessarily a simple task.
Along those lines, I must give my wife credit for diving in to a new garden this year. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs…you name it and it is growing out there. And with this bounty of incredible edibles, you have to cook recipes to take advantage.
Last night we came up with a simple, tasty and versatile sauce that I thought I should share. The only items not garden grown were the onion, broth and red pepper flakes.
Zucchini Tomato Sauce
· 3 Tsp Olive Oil
· 1 cup white onion – chopped
· 2-3 cloves garlic – sliced
· ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
· 2 cups cherry tomatoes – halved
· 2 cups zucchini – peeled and cubed to 1”
· 2 cups chicken broth
· Chopped fresh herbs to taste – we used basil, oregano and thyme
· Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and zucchini and cook another 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and reduce by a third. Transfer half of the sauce mix to a blender and puree. Return to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the sauce over rice with slices of grilled chicken breast on top. It will also work wonderfully with fish, pork and pasta.
Experiment and enjoy..!
Not quite the actual Gershwin lyric, I know. And I am also cognizant of the fact that planting and maintaining a garden is not necessarily a simple task.
Along those lines, I must give my wife credit for diving in to a new garden this year. Tomatoes, peppers, herbs…you name it and it is growing out there. And with this bounty of incredible edibles, you have to cook recipes to take advantage.
Last night we came up with a simple, tasty and versatile sauce that I thought I should share. The only items not garden grown were the onion, broth and red pepper flakes.
Zucchini Tomato Sauce
· 3 Tsp Olive Oil
· 1 cup white onion – chopped
· 2-3 cloves garlic – sliced
· ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
· 2 cups cherry tomatoes – halved
· 2 cups zucchini – peeled and cubed to 1”
· 2 cups chicken broth
· Chopped fresh herbs to taste – we used basil, oregano and thyme
· Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and zucchini and cook another 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and reduce by a third. Transfer half of the sauce mix to a blender and puree. Return to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally. Add fresh herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the sauce over rice with slices of grilled chicken breast on top. It will also work wonderfully with fish, pork and pasta.
Experiment and enjoy..!