Report From PIA – August 12
Garden Vegetables Baked With Fish or Chicken
This dish is perfect for the time when everything in the garden is producing; it’s great way to use summer squash, broccoli, beans, tomatoes, chard and tomatoes.
For Six People
Step One For The Tomato Sauce
Pick enough leeks or onions to make 1 cup chopped. (I used leeks and supplemented with ¼ cup chopped chives.)
4 cloves garlic, chopped fine.
three large springs fresh oregano, chopped
Either three stalks of celery or two fresh bell peppers, chopped.
Enough fresh tomatoes (regular or paste) to make 3 cups, skinned in boiling water and then chopped.
3 Tablespoons olive oil
4 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon allspice
about a quarter cup of stock (chicken or veggie) or white wine
Sauté the onions in the oil until they’re just starting to brown. Add the celery or peppers, and cook for three or four more minutes, stirring. Add the garlic and spices and then moisten everything with the stock. Add the tomatoes and cook until thickened and sauce-like.
Step Two – Fish or Chicken and Veggies
Grease a large baking pan and chop up whatever veggies you have in the garden into a layer at the bottom. I used the following tonight:
2 cups Broccoli
2 cups summer squash
2 cups green beans
4 cups chopped chard
Fish or chicken breasts – I used local striped bass
Place all the veggies except chard in the bottom of the pan and put it in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in chard leaves, top with fish or chicken breasts and cover all with the tomato sauce you made earlier.
Bake until done.
Sprinkle the finished dish with chopped fresh herbs: parsley, coriander, or dill. Tonight I used coriander and toasted pine nuts.
This dish can be made with just about any veggies the garden is producing at the moment.
