Provençal-style vegetables

RECIPE BY DANIEL ALPS FROM STRATHLYNN, ROSEVEARS

SERVES 6

60 g (2¼ oz) butter

250 g (9 oz) cherry tomatoes

½ bunch of tarragon, leaves only

olive oil

3 zucchini (courgettes), halved lengthways and sliced into half moons

2 eggplants (aubergines), halved lengthways and sliced

1 brown onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon salted capers, drained and rinsed

100 g (3½ oz) marinated red capsicums (peppers), drained

100 g (3½ oz) snow peas (mangetout)

100 g (3½ oz) yellow beans

100 g (3½ oz) green beans

1 tablespoon sliced kalamata olives

1 bunch of basil, leaves torn

In a saucepan over medium heat place the butter, cherry tomatoes, tarragon and some sea salt and white pepper. Cook until the tomatoes soften and reduce. Set aside until needed.

Add the olive oil to a frying pan and sauté the zucchini and eggplant in batches over medium–high heat until golden. Drain on paper towel.

Sweat the onion and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat in a little oil until translucent. Add the tomatoes with all the buttery juice and the herbs, capers, eggplant, zucchini, marinated capsicums, and some more sea salt and white pepper. Continue to cook gently so that all of the flavours combine.

In a saucepan of boiling water blanch the snow peas and beans for a few minutes, and then add to the vegetable mix. Add the olives and basil and serve.

Simple, fresh and locally grown vegetables — picked and delivered that morning, cooked and served that afternoon. It doesn’t get much better than that!