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Ciambotta - Summer Vegetable Stew
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September 15, 2024

Featuring a colorful blend of summer’s harvest, this vegetable stew is typically made in the Southern of Italy with different variations. It’s a one pot recipe, a vegetarian classic that I make with fresh picked vegetables from the garden: eggplants, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and fresh basil. In late summer they are perfectly ripe and I usually end up having too many of them. You can hear me if you have a garden! The soul of this simple recipe is: all the vegetables are welcome in the pot, so you can throw in what you have or just your favorites. It’s always delicious.

Ciambotta - Summer vegetable stew

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Featuring a colorful blend of summer’s harvest, this vegetable stew is typically made in the Southern of Italy with different variations. It’s a one pot recipe, a vegetarian classic that I make with fresh picked vegetables from the garden: eggplants, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions and fresh basil. In late summer they are perfectly ripe and I usually end up having too many of them. You can hear me if you have a garden! The soul of this simple recipe is: all the vegetables are welcome in the pot, so you can throw in what you have or just your favorites. It’s always delicious. 

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Knife
  • 6 bowls
  • A deep Dutch oven or a pot large enough to hold all the vegetables, with lid
  • Slotted spoon

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers - large
  • 1 yellow bell pepper - arge
  • 2 eggplants - medium size
  • 1 carrot - peeled and cut in medium chunks (about 2cm or ¾ inch long)
  • 2 small potatoes - peeled
  • 1 large onion - thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic - finely chopped
  • 3 tomatoes - big and juicy
  • 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup tomato purée
  • 1 handful fresh basil leaves
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the vegetables

  • Wash all your vegetables to remove all the dirt. Prepare your work surface with a cutting board, a knife and 6 bowls to hold the cut vegetables separately, as they’ll cook at different stages.
  • When everything is ready, cut the vegetables:
  • Bell peppers: Cut into large strips, removing all seeds inside.There’s an easy technique to cut the bell peppers, without spilling the seeds, which I show in my video here. Once cut, set aside in a bowl.
  • Eggplants: Cut into large cubes, roughly 3 cm / 1+ inch. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  • Carrot: Cut into medium chunks, about 2 cm / ¾ inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
  • Potatoes: Cut into medium cubes, about 2 cm / ¾ inch pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
  • Tomatoes: Cut into quarters and set aside in a bowl.
  • Finely slice the onion and chop the garlic.

Cook the vegetables

  • In a deep Dutch oven or a pot large enough to hold all the vegetables, add the extra virgin olive oil. Turn the heat to medium-low.
  • Sauté the bell peppers gently until tender, without burning or browning them. Once soft, remove them with a slotted spoon and set them aside in a bowl. (This prevents them from getting too soft while cooking the other vegetables.)
  • When spooning the bell peppers into the bowl, leave as much extra virgin olive oil as possible, as you’ll need it to cook the remaining vegetables.
  • Add the onion and a pinch of salt to the pot, and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for 10-20 seconds, being careful not to burn it—garlic burns very quickly.
  • Add the remaining vegetables: eggplants, carrot, potatoes, and tomatoes (fresh and pureed). Stir well, reduce the heat to low, and cover with a lid.
  • Simmer the vegetables until fork tender, for about 20-30 minutes. Check them occasionally. The vegetables should release their liquid as they cook. If they don’t, add a spoonful of water if needed, to prevent them from sticking to the pot.
  • Stir the vegetables gently and only occasionally while they cook, to avoid breaking them down.
  • When the vegetables are tender, uncover the pot. Check the texture: the vegetable stew should be moist but not runny. If there’s too much liquid left, raise the heat to quickly boil it off.
  • Add to the pot the sautéed peppers and the basil, mixing them well into the stew. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Add salt only at the end of the cooking process, because salt drains liquid from the veggies and they get too soft. Simmer for 1-2 more minutes, then turn off the heat.

Serving ciambotta

  • Serve warm or at room temperature with more fresh basil and toasted bread for dipping.

Notes

  • Ciambotta is typically served as a side dish but can easily be a main meal.

  • Buy bell peppers with glossy, firm skin. Avoid those with green color (they are still young and not fully mature) or those with soft, shriveled skin (they are past their prime).
  • If you peel and cut the potatoes in advance, put them in a bowl with cold water to prevent browning.

  • This recipe is about using whatever vegetables are available from your garden or local farmer’s market. You can also use zucchini or yellow summer squash, add less or more eggplants, etc. Just customize ciambotta to your liking, or to what you have on hand and what’s ripe.

  • The final texture of the veggies should be tender but not mushy. Eggplants, in particular, tend to get too soft, so cutting them into larger pieces helps maintain their texture.

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