Les Petits Farcis de l'Été: Stuffed Summer Vegetables

Photo and Styling by Béatrice Peltre

This recipe brings delight to young and older ones alike. I use tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes because everyone in the family has their favorites, which then makes everyone happy. Feel free to use the vegetable you like best as the base of the recipe—my children love the potatoes the best, and I personally prefer the zucchini.

Serves 4

2 medium-sized yellow potatoes (roughly ½ pound each)
2 medium-sized tomatoes (roughly ½ pound each)
2 medium-sized zucchini (roughly ½ pound each)
sea salt
2 spring onions, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 inch piece of ginger root, peeled
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or herb of your choice (basil is nice)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
pepper
1 pound ground lamb
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup pine nuts
extra-virgin olive oil

Place the potatoes in a small pot and cover with well-salted water. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Strain and let cool for 5 minutes; cut the potatoes in half and set aside.

Using a sharp knife slice off the stem end of the tomatoes (like a little lid) and set the tops aside. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller, scrape the seeds and flesh from inside the tomatoes and scrape out a small amount of the zucchini flesh and potatoes, just enough to make a little cup. Season the tomatoes and zucchini with salt and turn them upside down on a plate; set aside to drain for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, place the spring onions, garlic, ginger, carrot, oregano and parsley in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely minced. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the ground lamb, egg and pine nuts and stir until combined.

Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Arrange the potatoes, zucchini and tomatoes cut side up on the sheet and fill them with the lamb mixture. Place the tops back on the tomatoes. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Serve with quinoa or jasmine rice and a green salad on the side.

This recipe appeared in the Summer 2019 issue as part of a larger story on Kids in the Kitchen—Summer Baking.