Hello Amigos!

Last week I visited the organic garden of my friends in Estepona again, looking for inspiration for my new recipe.

This time I met Francis and Isa. They gave me a tour and showed me the new vegetables planted and ready to pick. Thanks to their work, love and dedication, they have a beautiful eco garden.

Francis told me about some recipes they usually make at home with the vegetables  collected. Meanwhile, Isa did not stop collecting vegetables getting ready to make me a nice gift.

Whenever you meet with other chefs, it seems inevitable to talk about food. And if you are in a garden surrounded by vegetables, even more.

They gave me a lot of ideas and tips, about how to use the veggies for the recipe I present to you today. Thank you so much guys for the inspiration, the nice time I enjoyed, and for the fantastic basket that you gifted me!

But before starting with the recipe, I would like to tell you a bit more about this humble dish.

Menestra has its origin in the Italian word "Minestra", which means "to serve at the table", and where also the Italian word "Minestrone", which is a "vegetable soup", comes from.

This a vegetable stew, in some regions, add small pieces of cured ham or bacon. The vegetables used to prepare the dish are those found in the market during the season of its preparation. The Menestra is a dish adopted in all regions of Spain but with more force in the North Regions of the Iberian Peninsula.

My Tasty Vegan Recipe

Ingredients (4 Tapas)

‍For the sauce

1. Cherry tomato
2. Carrot
3. Leek
4. Garlic
5. Onion
6. Flour

1. Artichokes 6 u
2. Cauliflower 1/2 u
3. Green beans 100 g
4. Broad beans 100 g
5. Mushrooms 100 g
6. Asparagus 100 g
7. Courgettes 1 u
8. Parsley
9. One lemon juice
10. Salt
11. White pepper
    

Preparation

1. First  you need to be ready with all the veggies.
2. Wash and cut them the way you want before start blanching them. I cut them in this way.
3. Cut the green beans in julienne.
4. Pick the fresh beans.
5. Make little ball with the courgette.
6. Cut the coliflower in small pieces.
7. Cut off the hard part of the asparagus.

1. Then it is time to clean the artichokes. I prepared a little video to show you how easy it is. But before start cleaning them, prepare a bowl or container with freezing water, lemon and parsley stem to avoid oxidation of the artichokes once they are clean.

Click and learn how to clean artichokes

1. After that, prepare another bowl with cold water and ice to cool down the veggies after the first cooked.
2. It is time the blanch the vegetables.
3. Here I leave you the times that I have used according to the vegetable.
4. Cauliflower 4 min.
5. Green Beans 3 min.
6. Beans 1 min.
7. Courgettes 3 min.
8. Artichokes 4 min.
9. Asparagus 1 min.
10. Reserve the water from blanching the vegetables. We will use it to make the sauce.

Click the photo and View the full gallery

1. On the other hand start with the sauce. In a frying pan, pour a little olive oil and put it over medium heat.
2. Add the sliced ​​garlic until it takes on a little colour, then the carrot, leek and onion cut in brunoise and cook everything together for 15 minutes.
3. Add two tablespoons of flour to it. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, and add the veggie stock until it reaches the desired thickness.
4. Add the tomatoes cherry.

1. Now is the time to add the vegetables we have blanched to the pan and cook everything together for another five minutes.

1. We taste salt and pepper and remove them from heat.
2. To finish , stir fry some mushrooms and The dish it will be ready to serve.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this vegan recipe.

Know that you can contact me through my Instagram or Facebook accounts for any question, doubt, or suggestion. I will answer you as soon as possible.

Thank you very much for your time, and Have a Tasty week!