Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Zucchini Strata and Potates Bravas


So we had some potatoes to use from the great new potato extravaganza at the markets two weeks ago, and after using them in any number of other dishes, we decided to try out a recipe from the beautifully illustrated Accidental Vegetarian book that we had from the library. It's essentially potatoes roasted in tomatoes and chilies. We were a bit impatient for dinner and Julie was a bit overzealous in her desire to use up all of the tomatoes from the can, so they were bit wet and a bit over done, but still quite tasty, and the concept was sound (dammit!). Maybe we'll make some more for the next picnic we choose to attend.
The potatoes sounded good and all, but not like a full meal in themselves so we decided some form of egg dish would work well with the zucchini proliferating in our fridge. We also had half of a stalish whole wheat baguette that need to be used up or fed to fish, so I decided to try making a strata for the first time.
Oh my god, how did we never try this before? I used this recipe, substituting a mix of sharp cheddar and asiago for the Swiss, added a few beet tops to the zucchini for good measure, and used a mix of fresh oregano and sage for the herbs. The bread became soft and pillowy (in a good way; not like chewing on your pillow at night), the zucchini and cheese complemented each other wonderfully. The whole thing was somewhere between a crustless quiche and a savory bread pudding -- satisfying but also light.

Finally, because what is a good Spanish and Italian(?) meal without a Belgian beer?

Sixth Glass was rich and slightly sweet. A very complex and smooth ale.

No comments: