Traditional Hungarian Zucchini

I know I promised Polenta Crusted Schnitzel... but with our markets and gardens pumping out so much zucchini and the day being so hot I thought I'd share with you a dish that takes me straight back to summer days as a child ~ there was always this dish ready to eat during my school hoildays...ticks all the boxes for me...easy, quick, seasonal and healthy... oh and can be frozen!

If you want this as a vego meal simply omit the ham...

Traditional Hungarian Zucchini

you will need...

4 smallish zucchini

2 Spanish onions - medium size

8 - 10 Roma style tomatoes or 20 small sweet style tomatoes
1 handful of flat leaf parsley

100 - 150g ham

olive oil

2 cloves of garlic

1 medium sweet red capsicum ~ Italian style is best... we have our Hungarian ones but I have not seen them in the shops

salt

1teaspoon PAPRIKA ~ now this is pronounced pap-rik-a not pa-pree-ka

To make...

All Hungarian savoury recipes start like this...

Peasant chop your onions, garlic and capsicum and fry them off in a heavy based pan with a good glug of olive oil... what you are looking for here is the onion, garlic and capsicum to sweat down with minimal browning ~ there is a change in smell... odd indicator I know but the smell goes from strong to sweet... see if you can pick it...

Then slice your zucchini and ham and add to your pan with your tomatoes... like so...

and cook down on low heat

when the zucchini has softened and the tomatoes have become sauce add your Paprika and cook for a few more minutes... then chop your parsley and sprinkle over....

Take off the heat and serve with rice, cous cous or pasta... we would eat it by itself or as a sauce for meat... you can stir through pasta and then bake as a pasta bake or use as the filling of a vegetarian lasagna ~ its such a versatile and tasty combo that lends itself to many dishes...

What about on a grilled piece of polenta with a Danish style feta... yum!?

If you are really SAVVY you can make a double batch and freeze it...

I hope you enjoy this recipe and it becomes a family favourite for you also...

yours,

Honey Lady