Giambotta

FROM OPEN KITCHEN

You know when you go to the farmer’s market or farm stand (or get a CSA box) in the summer and you buy way too much of everything because it all looks so good, but then when you get it all home you’re not quite sure what to do with it all? (That’s me, all the time.) Or maybe you just want to celebrate summer through produce? Well, here’s your answer. Giambotta, aka ciambotta, as your Italian grandmother made it, more closely resembles ratatouille than this vegetable stew, which aims to be way more colorful, less tomato-y, and a whole lot fresher tasting than the traditional summer veggie stew. So, here’s the thing, you can use any variety of vegetables to make this, and the proportions don’t really matter that much—just think of it as a cooked salad, follow the basic guidelines, and you really can’t go wrong—but I like to start with the vegetables that can stand up to a little more cooking to build the flavor for the stew, like shallots, leeks, fennel, corn, yellow wax beans, Romano beans, yellow squash, and then add the more delicate and vibrantly colored vegetables, like green beans, zucchini, radishes, and tomatoes and herbs toward the end so that the whole thing ends up looking gorgeous and has a contrast of flavors, textures, and colors. A parm rind would not be out of place stewing along with everything to add a little extra flavor to the broth. Serve it on its own as a vegetarian main course for lunch or dinner, perhaps with an egg on top, with some grilled halloumi, grated parm, or simple cranberry beans (page 37), or alongside any simple grilled meat or fish, along with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

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SERVES 4-6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 small onion, halved and thinly sliced

 2 medium shallots, sliced crosswise (about 1 cup)

2 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts (1 large)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from the cob of 1 large or 2 small ears)

2 cups sliced fennel (2 to 3 baby, 1 medium, or ½ large)

1 cup Romano beans, cut into 2-inch lengths

1½ cups wax beans, cut into 2-inch lengths

1 yellow summer squash, cut into ½-inch thick half moons (about 1½ cups)

1 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch-thick half-moons (about 1½ cups)

2 cups green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths

1 bunch radishes, cut in half lengthwise if large

1 to 2 cups tiny broccoli or broccolini florets

1 pint cup cherry tomatoes (such as Sungolds)

½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn if large

½ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves

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1. Heat the oil in a large, wide, shallow pot over medium heat. Add the onion, shallot, leeks, and garlic, season with ½ teaspoon salt, and cook until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the corn and fennel and cook, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until the fennel is softened and translucent. Add the Romano beans, wax beans, and yellow summer squash. 

2. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper, add 1 cup water, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for about 6 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened. Add the green beans, radishes, zucchini, and broccoli and another ½ cup to 1 cup water, depending on how soupy you want it. 

3. Cover again and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the green beans are bright green and crisp-tender. Add the tomatoes, and cook just until heated through, 1 minute. Season to taste with salt and pepper, drizzle with more oil, and sprinkle with the basil and parsley.

TIMING TIPS:

• Even though you could prep all the vegetables ahead of time, I like to prep this as I go, as the vegetables are added in succession. I just keep prepping as I add each vegetable.

• If cooking ahead by an hour or two, stop before adding the green beans, radishes, and broccoli. Reheat and add these ingredients at the last minute.