So what do you make after a trip to the summer farmer's market? Giambotta! Growing up in an Italian family, we always had a vegetable garden in the summer. In the middle of the summer we had an abundance of tomatoes, zucchini, squash, beans, greens and basil. My mother would pick everything in the cool morning and plan her meal for the day. A favorite especially when everything was ready to pick at the same time was Giambotta. Vegetable stew. I don't have a vegetable garden, but the farmers market is abundant right now and had all the ingredients for this stew. And, you can substitute pretty much any of the vegetables depending on what you like and have available. Today I am using zucchini, yellow squash, string beans, Swiss chard, orange pepper, leeks and tomatoes. If you can't find chard, use any other greens you like. Eggplant is also a good ingredient to add. All the ingredients are naturally gluten free and if you are counting Weight Watcher points, 0 points!
Giambotta
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large leeks, sliced (or yellow onion)
2 zucchini, cut in quarters and cubed
2 yellow squash, cut in quarters and cubed
1 pepper, diced (i prefer red, yellow or orange, they are sweeter than green)
6 cups Swiss chard torn into small pieces, (or any other green you prefer)
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
6 basil leaves
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups water
Salt/Pepper
In a large pot, saute garlic and leeks in olive oil until tender. Add all chopped vegetables, broth and water. Simmer until vegetables are tender, not mushy, 45 minutes to an hour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with grated cheese. Crusty bread would also be good!
