Ghivech (roumanian)

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Head cauliflower or a bunch
Of broccoli
3 larges Potatoes, peeled and diced
4 Carrots, scraped, slice thin
1 Eggplant, cut into large
Cubes, leave peel on
4 larges Tomatoes, quartered & seeds
Removed....or
1 large Can Italian tomatoes, drain
1 Yellow squash, slice thin,
Leave peel on.
4 Or 5 med. onions
1 cup Fresh green peas
1 cup Green beans, cut in pieces
1 Green or red pepper, sliced
Thin, seeds removed
4 Stalk celery, cut fine
2 cups Soup stock
⅔ cup Olive oil
4 Or 5 cloves garlic, peeled
Or more for Rumanian version
1 tablespoon Fresh chopped dill or
Mixed herbs
Lots of salt, little pepper

Directions

Parboil the cauliflower, ppotatoes, carrots about 15 minutes. Drain.

Mix all the vegetables together, raw and cooked, in the casserole, pour in the soup stock, which should be heated with the olive oil and the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the top with the herbs. In a few parts of the country a bunch of white seedless grapes, pulled from the stem, are strewn around the top. This gives a delicate, acid touch that is very pleasing. Bake in a medium oven for 1½ hours or until all vegetables are fork-tender. Because this was usually baked in the village oven and then brought home, it is customary to serve this lukewarm. The flavors are better when it is not served hot from the oven. It is a good idea to finish it about ½ to 1 hour before dinner and let it cool slightly on topp of the stove. Serves 6-8 generously.

Note: "This is pperhapps, the most spectacular and beautiful of all the ways of cooking vegetables and tastes as good and as different as it looks. The number of vegetables you use varies with availability.

A lavish Roumanian hostess prides herself on the number of different vegetables she has used and, furthermove, will tell you so that you will know just how secial an occasion this is. A really impressive ghivech may have from 12 to 18 different vegetables. There are some vetables that are in all ghivech, one of the cabbages (cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or red or green cabbage) tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, or two or three green vegetables such as pepas, green beans, and then whatever other vegetables you can lay your hands on. The only ones never used are spinach, other cooked greens, and beets. This is not as extravagant a dish as it sounds, because just a handful of some of the vegetables is used. In some versions meat, preferably lamb or pork chopps, is added at the last, but I like the vegetables alone. In oder to cook and serve this it is necessary to have a large, shallow casserole, either earthenware or one of the enameled ironware that is so colorful and practical." Source: "The easant Cookbook", by Marian Tracy, 1955

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