Zucchini loaf with garden herbs

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
6 Zucchini (abt. 1 1/4 lbs. total)
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 cup Chopped fresh basil
1 Sprig tarragon leaves chopped
¼ cup Olive oil
2 To 2 1/2 lbs. tomatoes peeled, seeded cut in small dice or-
2 pounds Can tomatoes
1 Onion; finely chopped
Basil leaves
6 Chive stalks; chopped
1 tablespoon Bread crumbs
1 pinch Grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper; to taste
6 Eggs
1 cup Heavy cream
3 Garlic cloves
Handful of fresh thyme
1 Bay leaf
4 Fresh basil leaves
1 Sprig fresh parsley
Salt and pepper; to taste

Directions

TOMATO SAUCE

GARNISH

To make sauce, heat the oil in a heavy pan. Add the tomatoes, onion, garlic and herbs. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook gently for about 50 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 475 F.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare the loaf. Trim the ends from the zucchini and cut them into large dice. In a large pan, heat the oil, add the zucchini, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the basil, tarragon and chives. Simmer gently 10 minutes more; the zucchini should be barely cooked. Stir in the bread crumbs and season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and cream together until thoroughly blended.

Stir in the zucchini mixture. Butter a 9x5x3" loaf pan and pour in the zucchini mixture. Set the pan in a larger pan and fill halfway up the sides with hot water. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the loaf is set.

Carefully unmold the zucchini loaf onto a cutting board. Spoon the tomato sauce on a long platter. Cut the loaf in thin slices and arrange them on the warm tomato sauce. Garnish with several fresh basil leaves.

The authors write: "Stephanie Demery leads a double life. By day she is in charge of product design at Soleiado, the famous manufacturer of classic Provencal fabrics founded by her husband, Charles. At night she watches over her restaurant, Le Cafe des Artistes, in Avignon, where the menu offers a lightened version of traditional Provencal cuisine. The same careful attention is lavished on meals prepared at home.

"'I've always eaten well,' says Stephanie of her interest in food.

'I grew up in Provence and my mother was an excellent cook. I like to eat well, too, so I entertain often. The meals are fetes.' One day to pass the time she decided to gather her recipes together for a book, something friends had been suggesting she do for a long time.

When her recipe collection was mentioned in an "Elle" magazine interview, an offer came from a publisher within days.

"The resulting book, _La Cuisine Provencale Traditionnelle_, concentrates on the authentic cuisine Stephanie prefers. 'It's a cuisine of olive oil and little or no butter,' she notes. 'Provence is a magic region where you can find all the vegetables, fish, and herbs you want. When you're Provencal, you know each herb has a definite purpose - thyme, savory, and fennel are good for grilling, for example - and that you can't mix strong herbs like rosemary and sage.' Lavender, rarely used for cooking in other parts of France, is popular in Provencal kitchens. Says Stephanie, 'Lavender with chocolate is sublime.'"

From Stephanie Demery of Le Cafe des Artistes restaurant/Avignon, France in "Cooking with Herbs" by Emelie Tolley and Chris Mead. New York: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1989. Pg. 214. Posted by Cathy Harned. Submitted By CATHY HARNED On 10-08-94

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