2 eggplants

4 celery stalks

1 garlic clove

half glass of white vinegar

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

if you like: pitted kalamata olives

Bring water to a boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Meanwhile peel and dice the eggplants to 3 cm pieces. Boil the aubergines for 8/9 minutes (until they get softer – careful not to overcook them).

Drain all water, and still hot into the colander, sprinkle them with the vinegar (I like them sour, if you prefer a milder taste use half vinegar). Cool down.

Clean and dice the celery (including the leaves) to pieces 1 cm long. Chope finely the garlic clove. In a bowl, put the eggplants, the diced celery, the garlic, the olive oil, and if you like the pitted olives. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Zucchini Stuffed with Feta Cheese

4 zucchine tonde / 4 round zucchini

300 gr feta / 300 gr feta cheese

200 gr pomodorini / 200 gr cherry tomatoes

3 filetti d’acciuga / 3 anchovy fillets

20 capperi / 20 capers

3 cucchiai di pane grattugiato / 3 tbs breadcrumbs

2 cucchiai di parmigiano grattugiato / 2 tbs shaved parmesan

3 cucchiai olio d’oliva / 3 tbs olive oil

Pulire le zucchine e scavare la polpa.

Clean the zucchini and take the meat out.

Scaldare l’olio in una pentola e unire le acciughe.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the anchovies. 

Quando sono sciolte, unire la polpa delle zucchine e i capperi. Cuocere per 7/8 minuti a fuoco vivace.

The anchovies melted, add the zucchini meat and the capers. Simmer for 7/8 minutes high heat.

Unire i pomodorini tagliati a metà. Cuocere per altri 7/8 minuti e mettere da parte.

Add the tomatoes halved. Simmer for other 7/8 minutes. Set aside.

Nel frattempo cuocere le zucchine svuotate a secco in forno  caldo (200°) per 15 minuti. O alternativamente n abbondante acqua salata per 10 minuti.

Meanwhile cook the emptied zucchini in the hot oven (200°C) for 15 minutes or aternatively boil them in boiling salted water, for 10 minutes.

Aggiungere al composto di zucchine il formaggio, il parmigiano e la feta sbriciolata.

Add to the zucchini mixture, the parmesan, the breadcrumbs and the feta chese crumbled.

Farcire con questo composto le zucchine e cuocere in forno per 30 minuti a 190°-200° finché non saranno ben gratinati. Servire.

Fill the zucchini in with this mixture. Put in a  baking pan and cook for 30 minutes in hot oven (190°-200°), until golden brown. Serve.