The idea of this marinara is to use what is in your harvest. If you don’t have every ingredient, don’t worry!
Let me add one caveat, this recipe comes from an individual who has one of the most spectacular gardens I’ve ever seen. She often produces enough veggies for her entire neighborhood. But she assures me, if you don’t have something here, or want to substitute another, feel free! But don’t omit the tomatoes or the spices.
I have a garden that is a bit on the puny side, and with the coldest summer in 60 years, my southern Marin tomatoes are just ripening now. I had plenty for this delicious sauce, along with a few beautiful sweet peppers, but had to buy many of the other veggies at the farmer’s market. Worth it. This is an ultra-fresh, chunky and filling harvest sauce. Very satisfying. By Julie Huisman.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 medium zucchini, cubed
2 medium yellow (crookneck) squash, cubed
2 medium yellow or red sweet peppers, chopped
2 medium eggplant, cubed
6 large mushrooms, chopped small
4 celery spears, chopped
4 large cloves garlic, minced
8 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Saute the onions for 10 minutes or until translucent. Add zucchini, eggplant, celery, garlic, peppers, and mushrooms and sauté for another 10 minutes. Add more olive oil if the vegetables are sticking. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer for 1 hour, or until your sauce is the right consistency. Serve with spaghetti noodles or steamed spaghetti squash. For optional additions include olives, hot peppers, clams, other seafood or sausage.
p.s. when I tried the recipe I didn’t give myself quite enough time so I everything was still a little chunky and made for a delicious and flavorful sauce thick enough to live as a side of it’s own.
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I tried a slight variation on this great sauce–to a two serving portion I added pieces of about 6 or 8 olives(Calimata or other Mediterranean type) plus a tablespoon of capers and Voila! a perfectly acceptable, hearty Puttanesca. I didn’t have the other usual ingredient in my refrigerator, anchovies; but didn’t seem to miss it.