The eggplant saga

The travels of the eggplant (Solanum melongena) across the world read like an adventure novel. Born in the Bengali Golf three thousand years ago, it comes to Ethiopia on the winds of the Indian Ocean. The Silk Road brings it to Persia. For the next episode in the saga, one has to wait for the Islam conquest first towards Iran and Middle East and then towards Egypt, Morocco, Spain and the Mediterranean Western Islands. Finally it accompanies the Spanish conquistadores to Americas.
Nutritionally eggplant is low in calories, rich in potassium and magnesium. It contains little proteins and lipids. Its pectin and fiber content satiates and it absorbs sugars and reduces cholesterol. It is a near perfect dieting food as long as the cook limits the quantities of oil she cooks the eggplant in, pectin acting as a sponge to absorb the greases. To extract its meaty taste, the best method is exposing the eggplant with its skin to the flame, whether on the barbecue or in an oven with the grill turned on, until it is soft. This of course gives you only the flesh as the skin is burned and then peeled off. The other option calls for slicing it, with the skin on, and either applying salt or a salt solution to get as much water out of it, or leaving it plain and in both cases grilling it on a non-stick surface with as little oil as possible. I have experimented with the two prescriptions. The salt solution removes much of the water content of the eggplant and leaves it somewhat shriveled but wit a stronger taste. Ultimately it really depends on how much time you have and whether a more eggplant flavor is required.
In its long journey the eggplant has acquired quite an array of companions: tomatoes, basil, cheese, eggs and spices. The following recipes, all vegetarian, well traveled and serving four are witnesses to the plant’s rich cultural past.

Eggplant caviar (Mediterranean)
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
4 medium eggplants
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chives minced
2 garlic cloves peeled
½ cup black olives pitted
Salt and Pepper

Material:
Food processor
Set of tongues

Preheat the oven at 400F (200C) grill function on.
Place the eggplants in the hot oven or on the hot barbecue. Turn them over after 10 minutes and lower the heat to 360F (180C). When they are soft, remove them from the oven or barbecue and wrap them in newspapers. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them.
Put in the food processors the flesh of the eggplants, the chives, cloves, garlic, pitted olive. Blend for a minute. Add the olive oil and lemon and blend some more. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and taste.
Serve on toasted bread as finger food or along a salad as an appetizer.

Lebanese eggplant cake
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 60 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
Cake
2 large or 4 medium eggplants
2 garlic cloves
3 eggs
1 tablespoon (12 g) Roquefort
1/3 cup (80 g) cream cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Sauce
1 cup (250g) cherry tomatoes
5 Basil or mint leaves

Material
Steamer
Food Processor
Oven or barbecue
6-inch silicone mold

Set the oven at 400F.
Char the eggplants in the barbecue or hot oven at 400F (200C) for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 360F (180C) until the eggplants are soft, turning them over at midpoint. It should take 20 to 30 minutes. Wrap them in newspaper until cool enough to handle and remove the skin. Put the flesh into the blender with the garlic cloves.
Add to the content of the blender the eggs, Roquefort and cream cheese. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture in the silicone mold and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife plunged in the middle comes clean.
In the mean time, prepare the sauce. Blend together the tomatoes and the herbs of your choice.

Set the cake on a serving dish and the sauce on the side. Serve with a salad.

Magali's grilled eggplant (Provence)
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
4 eggplants
¼ cup olive oil
4 large tomatoes peeled and seeded
2 garlic cloves
2 stems of thyme
2 laurel leaves

Material:
Saucepan
Food processor
Nonstick pan
Set of tongues
Paper towels

Slice thinly the eggplants, skin on, longitudinally.
Place a saucepan on the lower setting of the gas stove. Add the garlic and tomatoes, cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the thyme and laurel leaves and blend in a food processor. Taste and add salt and pepper.
Place a nonstick pan brushed with olive oil on the medium setting of the stove. Place a paper towel on a plate near by. Fry the slices of eggplants a few at the time on both sides. Repeat until you run out of eggplant slices.
Place on each plate a fan of eggplant slices covered with tomato sauce as an appetizer.
Serve hot.

Chinese stir-fried eggplant
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 40 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
6 small eggplants for a weight of 1½lbs (750 g)
1 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
¾ cup (177 ml) chicken broth
1tablespoon each chili paste, balsamic vinegar and dark soy sauce
1½ teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste and sesame oil
½ teaspoon each sugar and cornstarch
2 clove garlic minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 sprigs of lemon grass finely minced
2 green onions thinly sliced diagonally

Material:
2 Salad bowls
Paring knife and board
Frying pan or wok

Cut the eggplants on the diagonal in 1-inch pieces. Place the pieces in a salad bowl, sprinkle with the salt and cover with water. Place a plate over the eggplants to weigh them down. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain and pat down.
Heat two tablespoons of canola oil in a wok over high heat. Working in as many batches as needed stir-fry the eggplant pieces until crisp and brown on all sides for 7 to 10 minutes. Set the eggplants pieces aside without cleaning the wok.
Stir together in a bowl the broth, chili sauce, vinegar dark and light soy sauce, tomato paste, sesame oil and cornstarch. Reserve.
Return the wok to high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and lemongrass for two minutes. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the eggplants. Reduce the heat to low and braise the eggplant until tender and the sauce has thickened.
To serve 4, garnish with the green onions cut on a diagonal. It is a great companion for grilled lamb.

Moroccan eggplant cigars
(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
2 large eggplants
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup (250g) almond paste
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon almond slices

Material:
Nonstick frying pan
Set of tongues
Food processor
Cookie sheet covered with parchment paper

Preheat the oven at 360F (180C).
Slice thinly the eggplant skin on longitudinally. Sauté in a little olive oil until just colored. Reserve on a plate between two paper towels.
Mix the almond paste the sugar and the orange blossom water in the food processor. Divide in as many rolls as you get eggplant slices. Place a small almond roll at the bottom of an eggplant slice and roll. Repeat until you run out of paste rolls and eggplant slices. Dispose the cigars on the cookie sheet and pour the honey on top. Bake for ten minutes.
Serve at room temperature sprinkled with almond slices either as dessert or as a whimsical appetizer.

Garden Zucchinis

Now is the time to reap the fruit (and vegetables) of our spring labors. I like to forage in the early morning and gather the elements of our daily meals. A first tour will determine the progress of the plants, salad and herbs. Then armed with basket and scissors I harvest whatever I need. The earth is still moist with dew and the smells call for my intervention. Next to the verbena I have planted peas. While picking the pods, I brush its leaves and a delicate lemon fragrance whiffs by. Mint is the most invasive of plants (as are cherry tomatoes, which I have stopped planting long ago but keep showing up unexpectedly). In both cases I greet the uninvited guests with the same olfactory delight. Young chards of all hues catch my eye. Along with the peas and the young zucchinis they will make a nutritious salad with the addition of chickpeas.
Zucchinis are really the backbone of my summer garden. They keep fruiting for two months. Aptly named in English, they advertise their origin: Italy. Closely related to the squash and pumpkin this member of the vast cucurbit family native of South and Central America is a relatively new comer in our plates. It includes on one plant both male and female flowers. It is extremely generous: the more you harvest, the more it produces. The only challenge is to vary the recipes to prevent satiety. Because of its high water content, I prefer to bake or stir-fry zucchini. Sliced raw, it is a great addition to any salad. As it has relatively little taste as of itself, it is better accommodated with herbs, garlic and onions, olives and olive oil. Flavorful vegetables such as tomato and eggplant are also a good complement. The following recipes serve 4 and are but a few of the ones I will share this summer. The first, Fried zucchini flowers is an appetizer. The second, Zucchini Surprise, is a starter. The third is a filling vegan salad. The fourth, Zucchini au gratin, is a great side dish. Bon appétit.

Fried Zucchini flowers (Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
24 zucchini flowers (preferably male. Leave some for fecundation)*
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup (250 ml) corn oil

Material:
Heavy-bottom pan
Salad bowl
Set of tongues
Paper towels

Wash and dry completely the flowers.
Place the flour and pepper in a bowl. Roll the flowers in.
Pour the oil in the pan and place on the highest setting of the gas. When it start smoking, add the flowers a few at the time. After 3 minutes turn them over. Place on a plate covered with paper towel. Serve warm or reserve to garnish the zucchini salad.

*Male flowers are attached to the plant by the stem and have a more open flower. Female are attached to the squash, which itself grows on the stem.
Zucchini Surprise (A little delicate, Preparation and cooking time: 20 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
16 mini zucchini, flower attached
8 anchovies preserved in olive oil
1/3 cup (80g) Parmesan cheese grated
2 oz (40 g) fresh goat cheese
3 basil stems
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Material:
Food processor
Spoon
Ovenproof dish

Preheat the oven at 360F (180C). Wipe olive oil in the ovenproof dish with a paper towel.
Place ¾ of the Parmesan cheese, the goat cheese, the anchovies and the basil leaves in the food processor and pulse until you obtain a homogeneous paste.
Open delicately each flower without detaching it from its zucchini anchor. Remove the pistil and spoon-feed the flower with the paste. Lay the filled zucchini on the ovenproof dish. Repeat until you run out of paste and vegetable. Sprinkle with olive oil and the remainder of the Parmesan.
Bake for 15 minutes and serve immediately.
Swiss Chard, zucchini, peas and chickpea salad (Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 10 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:
For the salad
16 stems of chard
4 small zucchinis
1 cup (250g) fresh peas
2 cans chickpeas

For the no cheese pesto:
2 cloves garlic
3 stems basil (stem removed, leaves washed)
3 stems mint (stem removed, leaves washed)
1 coffee spoon of salt
¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

Material:
Strainer
Can opener
Vegetable peeler
Heavy-bottom pan
Food processor

Place a pan of water over the high setting of the gas.
Clean all the vegetables.
Separate the chard leaves from the stem, and cut them roughly in pieces. Blanch the leaves and the peas at the same time by plunging them in the boiling water. When the boil resumes, remove and strain them. Refresh with cold water.
Open the chickpea cans. Strain and rinse the chickpeas.
Without peeling them, form ribbons of zucchini, using the vegetable peeler.
Place all the vegetables in a salad bowl.
Place all the ingredients of the pesto in the food processor and pulse. Add just enough of the sauce to the vegetables to coat them. Serve on each plate with zucchini fried flowers all around.

Zucchini au gratin (Easy, Preparation and cooking time: ½ hour, Cheap)

Ingredients:
1lbs (500 g) zucchini cubed
½ cup (250 g) Gouda cheese
2 tablespoons cumin powder
1cup milk
2 eggs

Material:
6 muffin silicone molds
1 salad bowl
1 wooden spoon

Preheat the oven at 360F (180 C).
Mix in the salad bowl the milk eggs cumin powder and cheese. Add the zucchini, salt and pepper. Garnish the molds and cook for 25 minutes.
Set directly on a serving plate or an individual plate.
The gratins are good as a side dish for a barbecue.

Crabcake variation

When I first came to the States, there were four things I could never have enough of: pancakes, cheesecake, crab cakes and blue cheese dressing. I have stayed true to the third one. Come summer, I crave a lunch of crab cakes and cucumber salad. It took me some time to perfect one that would be equally solid and light. As to the solidity, the secret is twofold: use a silicone mold, and bake twice, refrigerating in between. The advantages for a busy hostess are obvious: a reheated dish with a better taste can be made a day ahead. For the lightness, I use light store bought mayonnaise. That same mayonnaise is the basis of the dip. Crab cakes are not limited to lunch: they are also a great and very convenient hors-d’oeuvre. Once I had crab on my mind, and given my love of Asian inspired food, I decided to play with the idea of crab finger food. To dissociate the Asian crab from the American, I decided to forgo spicy and choose green tea as a flavoring instead. My crab package is made of a mixture of crabmeat, minced chives, green tea and ricotta held in a brick, and slightly cooked in a frying pan. It should be eaten hot with a green tea dip. By making larger squares and serving two with a salad it can turn equally well into a light lunch.

Crab cakes

Ingredients:

1 lbs (500g) jumbo crabmeat, bones removed

1cup (250 ml) light mayonnaise

½ cup (125g) Panko or bread crumbs and some more for dusting the silicone molds

1 shallot finely minced

1 yellow, green or red pepper finely minced

1 clove garlic finely minced

1/3 cup (80g) of chives

1tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

Material:

Large or small silicone muffin molds

1 salad bowl and wooden spoon

1 frying pan

Set the frying pan on the stove on the low setting. Pour the tablespoon of oil and add the shallot, garlic and pepper to soften for five minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.

Mix in the salad bowl the crabmeat, mayonnaise, and the half-cup of Panko. When the vegetables are cold, add them too. Mix well. Sprinkle Panko crumbs in the silicone molds. Fill the mold with the crab mix. Sprinkle the top of the crab cakes with crumbs as well. Place in the fridge for an hour.

Turn the oven on at 360F (180C) and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place in the refrigerator when it has cooled.

Before serving, remove from the refrigerator. Preheat the oven at 360F (180C) and bake for 10 minutes.

24 appetizers or 8 large crab cakes

Serve with dill mayonnaise and, if you are having lunch a cucumber salad.

Dill dip

Ingredients:

½ cup (125g) nonfat mayonnaise

½ cup (125g) Kefir or yoghurt

1 tablespoon dill, washed, dried and minced

1 clove garlic peeled

Salt and pepper

Material:

Food processor

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and blend until well mixed.

Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

4 small cucumbers

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 tablespoon seasoned Japanese vinegar

1 tablespoon dried seaweeds

1 tablespoon minced chives

Material:

Peeler

Knife

Grapefruit spoon

Salad bowl

Place the seaweeds in warm water according to the manufacturer.

Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half and remove the seeds with the grapefruit spoon. Cut the cucumber in thin slices.

Mix in the salad bowl the sugar and vinegar until well dissolved. Add the cucumber slices and toss until well coated with the vinegar.

Drain the seaweeds and add to the salad. Toss and serve.

Asian crab squares

Ingredients:

8 brick sheets

1 lbs crabmeat

1 tablespoon chives

2 teaspoon green tea powder

½ (125g) cup ricotta cheese

Salt and pepper

Material

Fine strainer

Salad bowl

Non-stick frying pan

Place the ricotta in the salad bowl. Strain the green tea powder above the salad bowl. Mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the chives, and the crabmeat. Mix well.

For the larger square, place the crabmeat mixture in the center of the brick sheet and fold over. For the small hors-d’oeuvre, cut the brick sheets in four. Follow the method outlined above to obtain 32 small squares.

Place the frying pan on the low range of the gas stove. When it is warm, add the squares. Cook on each side for 3 minutes each or until golden,

Serve with Green Tea sauce.

Green tea sauce

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon green tea powder

½ cup mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Material

Blender

Strainer

Place the mayonnaise in the blender. Strain the tea powder over it and mix well. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired.

Ubiquitous Mussels

Ocean bivalve molluscs and humans have had a close relation for thousands of years, in part because they were a fascinating prey for hunting populations. Clumped together on a wave beaten rock, they both defeat the strength of the water and attract our interest. I particularly remember a gorgeous summer day in Belle-Isle, an island off the coast of Brittany. With water to my knees, a bucket in hand, I caught our lunch in less than an hour. After a good scrubbing under running water, removal of the beards with a knife, the mussels are ready to meet their fate. As a live mussel will close in contact with the air, make sure you discard any which stay open before cooking.

They are a Belgium specialty. A chain of restaurant serves them in their most popular form, in a wine and garlic broth, with French fries on the side. In Italy tomatoes and spaghettis are added to the mix. In Asia whether India or China, the broth turns spicy. They are a good source of selenium and zinc and I have never met a child who will not eat them. The following recipes are inspired by France and Thailand and will serve 4 for lunch or dinner. The leftover make an appetizer, dressed with shallots, oil and vinegar and surrounded by greens.

Cream of mussels (Moules poulette)

(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:

4 lbs (2 kg) mussels

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium size onion

2 garlic cloves

3 celery branches

2 cups (500ml) white wine

½ cup (125 ml) heavy cream

Material:

Paring knife and cutting board

Large stockpot with cover

Clean the mussels under running water. Remove the beards.

Peel and cube the onion. Peel and slice the cloves. Wash, dry and slice finely the celery branches. Pour the olive oil in the stockpot. Place the pot on the medium setting of the gas. Add the onion cubes, cloves and celery, stirring constantly for 3 minutes. Add the wine and cream and bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper. Add the mussels and cover. The mussels are cooked when they open.

Serve immediately in soup bowls with an empty container for the shells. Place a glass with a paper towel filled with fries next to each soup bowl. The broth is delicious in and of itself.

Thai Mussels

(Easy, Preparation and cooking time: 30 minutes, Cheap)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 green onions

1 tablespoon turmeric

1 teaspoon salt

1 green jalapeno pepper or red pepper flakes

2 lemon grass stalks

2 garlic cloves

The juice of a lemon

3 cups (750ml) coconut milk

1 cup (250 ml) water

4 lbs (2 kg) mussels

1 bunch of coriander leaves

Material:

Paring knife and cutting board

Large stockpot with cover

Discard the tops of the green onions. Remove the seeds of the pepper. Cut the green onions and the pepper finely on a diagonal. Discard the outer leaves of the lemon stalks and cut finely the heart. Peel and slice the garlic cloves.

Place the stockpot on the medium range of the gas. Pour the oil. Add the green onions, pepper, garlic and lemon stalk slices. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle the turmeric powder and the salt. Add the coconut milk, water and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add the mussels and cover. The mussels are ready when they open about 10 minutes later.

Serve on top of a bowl of rice decorated with washed coriander leaves. Do not forget to propose a spoon as the rice in mussel broth gives it the consistency of a soup.

5 dinners for 1

As I prepare to fly away leaving guiltily my eldest daughter to her summer job, I try to make sure that she eats well despite my absence and her demanding schedule. I have therefore made up a shopping list, which accommodates five meals for one person. She needs only visit the grocery store once on a Sunday. Then she will wash the cabbage and shred it, wash and separate the broccolis in florets, peel and cut the carrots in sticks, wash and dry the spinach. Finally she will make the tomato sauce. She will store each vegetable in separate plastic bags, in the refrigerator. The Sunday handling following the supermarket trip insures that the dinners will be ready faster and effortlessly. I have kept preparation time to a minimum, generally about 15 minutes. The longest baking time, 30 minutes concerns the chicken, and then the chicken broth, an additional 30 minutes on the stove, which is used in the pot sticker recipe. The recipes from Tuesday to Thursday are sequentially related. The leftover from the baked chicken are used in the stir-fry. The stir-fry leftovers are coarsely chopped in the food processor and used in the pot stickers along with the chicken broth. Flavors are brought by the addition of herbs and spices. The pyramid requirements and the attempt to limit meat intakes are respected: protein is brought by the consumption of chicken and fish in small portions and not every night. The fruit eaten daily as a dessert and the smoothies for breakfast will help achieve the proper balance. And the budget is great: 50$ for five days worth of meal.

Menus
Monday: Steamed Fish in baked Parchment (January 12th blog) without the dill with stir-fry spinach (June 4th blog)
Tuesday: Half Baked Chicken (January 1st blog) without the yam, sage and rosemary. Cabbage slaw (new).
Wednesday: Chicken Stir fry (new)
Thursday: Pot Stickers (new)
Friday: Pasta with tomato sauce and broccoli (new)

Shopping List
1 small flounder fillet
½ half organic chicken
1 lbs (500g) spinach
1 bunch of carrots
1 small head of cabbage
6 tomatoes
1 bunch broccoli
1 bunch green onion
1 onion
½ lbs small potatoes
A bunch of fresh coriander leaves
Garlic head
Ginger root
Sesame oil
Soy Sauce
Wonton wrappers
Whole-wheat spaghettis
Thyme
Laurel leaves in a jar
Red Pepper Flakes
1 pound strawberries*
1 pound blueberries*
1 pound cherries
2 peaches
1 plain yoghurt
Low-fat Mayonnaise
Parmesan flakes
1 Watermelon*
Cranberry juice*
Milk
Butter**
Goat cheese**
Whole-wheat bread**
Flax seeds*
*Morning Smoothie
**Breakfast item

Recipes

Cole Slaw
Preparation time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
½ cabbage
1 carrot shredded
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
¼ (60ml) cup plain yoghurt

Material:
Food processor
Salad Bowl

Use the shredder feature of the food processor to transform the cabbage and carrot in slaw.
Mix in the salad bowl the mayonnaise and yoghurt. Add salt and pepper. Add the slaw and toss until well coated.

Chicken Stir-fry
Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Leftover chicken meat from the baked chicken
1 clove garlic peeled and minced
1-inch piece of ginger peeled and minced
A few broccoli florets
A few carrot sticks
A few spinach leaves
Half of the cabbage
Soy sauce

Material:
Wok
Wood spoon
Knife
Spoon

Peel the garlic clove and cut it finely. Run the tip of a spoon the length of the ginger root: it will peel away its skin. Cut in small pieces
Place the wok on the medium range of the gas stove. Pour the sesame oil in. After a minute, when the oil is warm sauté the ginger and garlic. Add the carrot sticks. 4 minutes, add the broccoli florets. Another three minutes after, add the chopped cabbage. Pour a tablespoon of soy sauce and add the chicken pieces. Lower the gas and cover for another three minutes.
Serves 1
Place the leftover in a food processor and pulse until you have smaller but recognizable pieces of everything. Add a tablespoon of sesame oil. Store in a container in the refrigerator.

Pot Stickers
Preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
Stir-fry leftover
Wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon coriander leaves cleaned and minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 cup (250ml) chicken stock

Material:
Bowl of water
Tablespoon
Nonstick frying pan

Remove the stir-fry leftover from the refrigerator. Add the minced coriander leaves and the red pepper flakes. Mix.
Place 15 wrappers on the counter top. Have the bowl of water handy. Spoon out 1 mount of the mixture in the middle of each wrapper. Wet the borders of a wrapper and fold it around its content, forming pleats. Repeat until you run out of wrappers.
Pour the sesame oil in the frying pan and the frying pan over the medium range of the stove. When the oil is warm place the pot stickers in the pan. When they are fried (about 5 minutes) pour enough chicken stock to cover the pot stickers without turning them. Place a cover on top for two minutes.
Serve 1 in a soup bowl

Basic Tomato sauce
Preparation time: 10 minutes, Cooking: 25 minutes
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive oil
6 tomatoes
1 large onion peeled and sliced
3 carrots peeled and slices
1 peeled inch-thick slice of ginger root
2 stems of thyme, 1 laurel leave
Salt and Pepper

Material:
Heavy-bottom saucepan
Paring knife
Blender

Pour water in the heavy-bottom saucepan and set on the medium range of the gas stove. When the water boils, drop the tomatoes. When the water boils again, retrieve the tomatoes. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle remove the skin. Cut them in quarter and remove the seeds. Reserve the quartered tomatoes.
Put the same saucepan on the low setting of the gas stove. Add oil. After one minute, add the onion slices and the carrots. Cook for five minutes. Tie the thyme and laurel leave with a piece of kitchen rope to form a bouquet garni. Pour the tomatoes in the saucepan and add the bouquet garni and the ginger. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook for twenty minutes.
To obtain a smooth sauce, mix in the blender.
Divide the sauce in 3 parts. Keep one for the following recipe and store 2 small containers in the freezer for another usage.

Spaghetti with broccoli

Ingredients:
Remaining broccoli florets,
¼ of the spaghetti package
Reserved basic tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Parmesan flakes

Material:
1 large stockpot
Strainer

Pour 2 cups water and the salt in the stockpot. Place the pot over the medium range of the gas stove. Bring to a boil and add the spaghettis. Cook according to the package instruction. About 3 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the broccoli florets.
Strain the spaghettis and broccoli florets. Put back in the stockpot. Add the reserved tomato sauce. Place the stockpot back on to the medium range of the stove, stirring constantly. When the sauce bubbles, it is ready.
Serve with a pepper grinder near by, some olive oil and flakes of Parmesan cheese.