Baked Medley of Summer Vegetables

This dish is simply delicious and easy to prepare. Similar to Ratatouille, the French stewed vegetable dish from Provence, but without the sauce. I created it one lovely evening when we spontaneously invited friends to dinner. I used a colourful medley of summer vegetables from my garden, tray baked them with herbs from my garden and a touch of freshly ground spice from the pantry to create a versatile dish that will accompany grilled, barbecued or roasted fish, lamb, beef or chicken. Of course, it also makes a superb summer, or autumn, vegetarian meal. Accompany with a fresh seasonal salad and crunchy buttered sourdough bread. And, if that wasn’t enough, it also makes a sumptuous sauce for pasta. So, keep it simple this summer/autumn and enjoy this medley of seasonal vegetables whilst they are at their best. Buon appetito! Bon appétit! Ciao for now. Sylvia xx

METHOD

• Cut all the vegetables into approx. 2 cm cubes.
• Gently pierce the cherry tomatoes to avoid bursting.
• Strip the leaves off the thyme sprigs, reserving the thyme flower heads.
• Cut the garlic cloves in half lengthwise then finely slice.
• Place all the vegetables, garlic, thyme leaves, thyme flowers and ground coriander seed into a large mixing bowl.
• Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Add extra virgin olive oil and mix to coat.
• Place in the lined baking tray.
• Pop into the preheated oven. Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes till coloured.
• After which time, gently shake the tray to move the vegetables around a little.
• Bake a further 10 minutes until the vegetables just hold their shape and have a beautiful golden-brown baked colour.
• Serve garnished with finely chopped parsley.

Taste Experiment and Enjoy this dish soon!