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domenica 7 agosto 2011

ZAKUSKA Ligure






diciamo che oggi sono pigra e la ricetta originale era qui, più le modifiche ligure e poi così vi faccio conoscere anche gli amici Gamberi...

Buon lavoro e mi raccomando diveritevi!

Ligurian ZAKUSKA

Ok so today you get the separation of the recipes like the division of the Red Sea in the Bible. Only I bet that Moses didn't have trouble with his cane or whatever the way I have trouble when my fingers accidentally tap some keys which I never remember afterwards..could be convenient to know which ones to tap to automatically flip the post to the publish position...anyhow, as I was saying...These are three half kilo jars of very red saucy Ligurian ZAKUSKA . The story is that a Turin friend has the original recipe which is Romenian Zakuska...mostly eggplant peppers and onion whilst I had the problem of a veggie garden which was and still is for that matter overrun with zucchini so this is what I invented:

1 lb of purple onions(we only plant those) - peeled and cubed tiny
1 lb of zucchini (light colored green is better) cubed tiny
1 lb of eggplant (long ones if poss if not whatever you can get) cut into larger cubes which you put into a huge collandar and lightly salt, toss them around a bit in the collandar to distribute the salt evenly
1 lb of red peppers and yellow peppers ... cut into small cubes

1 liter of really good tomatoe sauce with basil and various already in it(Prince anyone?)

HUGE gigantic frying pan with about a cup of olive oil in it. Don't make those faces folks. We're talking about an enormous quantity which will go into big 1 lb jars(or whatever size you prefer but not smaller than 1/2 LB please) so the oil gets distributed. In the oil in the pan first put the onions and sautee about 15 minutes once they start sizzling. They should get transparent but not crispy.

Then add the zucchini and do the same...not crispy but al dente.
Then add the peppers and do the same as the zucchini - al dente.
Then at the end add the eggplant which you have RINSED really well and patted dry(maybe I should write this up top but too bad, it's already here - which will teach you to always read the entire recipe before embarking on a new one - RECIPE USE 101 -thank you NAHMOE (ma maternal gram). These should be cooked till al dente and it doesn't take a long time.

In all you have been hooked to the stove for about 45 minutes. At this point you only need to pour in the liter of tomatoe sauce, stir really well and let it cook for another 20 minutes permitting the sauce to permeate all the veggies. Turn off the stove, add salt to taste and put the cover on the pot leaving some space between pot and cover so the steam goes out.

Now while you're waiting for the stuff to cool go do something else.....like sterilizing enough jars of chosen size....

tahtahtah...when the stuff is completely cool you must have cool jars ready. fill leaving some headspace, seal with cover and then you must put them into a cold water bath. I wrap the jars in old napkins and put an old washcloth on the bottom of the pot to keep the pots from sitting on the metal. Put the pot on the stove, bring to the boil and sterilize for 40 minutes. Let cool in the water of the sterilization...

logically if you have one of those fancy sterilizing pots the process is different...do it as per instructions you have for the pot.

When cool, dry jars, check caps to make sure they're vacuum sealed(if not you just eat the stuff in the jar - I never reseal a cap since I usuall am so busy cooking the stuff to can that I can happily use the unsealed jar for a dinner or lunch)write date on the glass with an indelible marker - no longer use tags just pretty colored markers. And put them in the larder in the dark so they are ready for:

stew bases
spaghetti sauce
base for bean cassarole
antipasto if you put tuna in it and some vinegar....it's up to you !