Warm Vegetable Salad

I don’t know about you, but I quite like having a small pile of mixed warm vegetables with main courses such as burgers or tartlets. They bring a bit of colour and moisture, and can be varied and made different each time. Some times you might add some olives, other times a bit of chilli. If using with pasta, add some cheese of your favourite type.

Serves 2 as a side dish OR 1 with pasta

1 small courgette

1 small shallot

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon butter

a pinch of salt

½ red pepper

4 cherry tomatoes

5 small button mushrooms

3 basil leaves

a sprig of dill

a pinch of black pepper

Finely slice the courgette lengthways, using either a sharp knife or a vegetable peeler (or a mandolin if you’re lucky enough to own one).

Finely chop the shallot and garlic, and melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, and sweat for about 5 minutes.

Slice the red pepper into fine strips, and add to the pan. Add the courgette and a pinch of salt, and let it sweat for a couple of minutes. Finely slice the mushrooms and add. Stir, and add the fresh herbs. Leave on the heat for a few minutes until the mushrooms are cooked, while stirring now and again.

If using as a side dish, serve.

If using with pasta, boil your pasta while cooking the vegetables, drain the pasta, mix it all together and add some grated cheese.