Zucchini, tomato and basil stew

The zucchinis are upon us! I’m growing the Italian variety called Tromboncino again, and I won’t write much about it here as you can read about it in last year’s post (Stir-fried zucchini and seasonal greens with soybean paste). In a nutshell, this zucchini is a climber so it takes up much less ground space than regular zucchini. We have it growing over an arch-like frame, which creates a lovely shady nook in the garden. The pale-green zucchinis are super long and thin and the kids like to pretend they’re walking sticks. Family, friends and neighbours have been gifted a few this year – I’m spreading the crazy zucchini love!

My list of things to do with zucchini is getting long, and if there was a market for a zucchini cookbook, I could be its author! I’m pretty sure they are no-one’s favourite vegetable, but they’re impressively versatile. There is so much you can do with them.

Zucchini, tomato and basil stew

This wondrous 4-ingredient stew is a summer favourite at our house. It’s easy to whip up on a busy weeknight (you can have it with polenta, rice, couscous, bread, pasta …) or you can serve it as a vegetable side dish with a more special meal. You can easily increase the quantities.

olive oil
1 onion, finely sliced
about 500 g zucchini (courgette), sliced
4 medium tomatoes, cut in half and sliced
salt and pepper
big handful of basil leaves, chopped

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a few minutes. Then stir in the zucchini and tomato, 1 teaspoon of salt, and some pepper. Put the lid on and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10–15 minutes, until the zucchini is tender and the tomato has made a sauce. Turn off the heat and stir in the basil. Taste for salt and pepper – you’ll probably need to add a little more salt.

Serves 4–6