Slow Cooker_ The Best Cookbook Ever - Diane Phillips [137]
4 cup shredded zucchini
3 tablespoons salt
3 medium tomatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick slices
2 leeks, coarsely chopped, using the white and tender green parts
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup chicken broth
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for garnishing
place the zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and press any moisture out of the zucchini. Sprinkle the tomatoes with 1 teaspoon salt and let drain on paper towels.
toss the leeks with 2 tablespoons of the oil and pour the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Combine the tarr agon, pepper, tomato paste, remaining salt and the broth in a small bowl. Arrange a layer of tomatoes in the slow-cooker insert and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste mixture. Top with a layer of zucchini, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the tomato paste mixture, and top with some of the leeks. Continue to layer the ingredients, and pour the remainder of tomato paste mixture over the vegetables.
cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Remove the cover and cook on low another hour.
serve the gratin warm or at room temperature with a sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
serves 6–8
Yellow Squash Crock Casserole
Yellow squash casseroles are legendary in the South; you can count on a squash casserole to be on the table at most potlucks, with the guests evaluating whether it’s worthy of the rest of the spread! This casserole, with its creamy, cheesy sauce, filled with nuggets of squash and ham and then covered with buttered cracker crumbs, is the perfect dish to serve with meats, chicken, or seafood.
6 medium yellow squash, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons, melted
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2½ cups finely shredded sharp white or mild Cheddar cheese
1 cup finely chopped ham
10 buttery crackers, crushed (about ½ cup)
¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (see savvy)
coat the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray or line it with a slow-cooker liner according to the manufacturer’s directions.
place the squash in a colander and sprinkle with the salt. Set the squash aside for 30 minutes to drain excess moisture.
melt the 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and thyme and sauté until the onion is softened, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the saucepan and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, cream, and Tabasco and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly. The sauce should be quite thick. Pour the sauce into the slow-cooker insert and fold in the Cheddar cheese and ham. Press out any excess moisture from the squash with paper towels and add the squash to the slow-cooker insert. Stir to distribute the ingredients.
cover and cook on high for 1½ to 2 hours, until the casserole is heated through and the squash is tender. While the casserole is cooking, stir together the melted butter, crushed crackers, parsley, and Parmesan.
sprinkle the top of the casserole with the buttered cracker crumbs and serve from the cooker set on warm.
serves 6–8
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parmigiano savvy
Parmigiano-Reggianno is made only in the Parma region of Italy; it is stamped, so you know what you are buying, and it can be expensive. With that in mind, I recommend Parmigiano when I think the taste of the dish depends on its use, but in other instances, when strong flavors are used in a dish, as they are here, it is perfectly fine