I think I’m the only person not liking the warmer weather we’ve been getting the past week. It’s not that I don’t like temperatures in the 80s. They’re fine. Just not at the end of September. I like my weather crisp now! Bring on the sweaters, tights, knit hats, and lightweight Fall coats! That’s what I want!! It’s equally awful because in the beginning of September we had delightfully chilly weather. I’m talking about 50 degrees days. They were perfection. I want them back!
It also doesn’t help that the law school is FUH-REEZING. So, if I dress light for my walk to school I’ll be shivering like the little match girl during class. If I dress for the law school, though, I’m sweating like a Kardashian in church after that walk.
Anyway, my cold weather will come soon enough. Winters here are serious business, and I’m sure I’ll be complaining about it then and wishing for this warmer weather back. So, I’m going to try to enjoy it. Or, you know, just hide out in my apartment with the air on max wrapped in a blanket. Sometimes I make questionable life choices.
Want to know what isn’t a questionable life choice? Making these vegetables. I will never understand people who don’t like vegetables. There is just so much that you can do with them. There literally is probably a vegetable dish for every mood. Feeling feisty? Get some breaded zucchini chips in the oven! Suffering a heartbreak? Stuffed mushroom will fill your empty heart! Staying in on a Friday night because you want to avoid social interactions and watch Netflix? Baked sweet potato fries, for sure.
I think these olive and sun-dried tomato vegetables are definitely a suitable-for-all-moods vegetable. They are not, however, a hungover-on-a-Saturday vegetable. Not that I tried that. Not at all. I served this alongside the chicken cacciatore that I posted a a week or so back and they paired really well together. You can even just mix the vegetables into the cacciatore. I definitely pilfered a few black olives from it!
One thing I will note is that I found the sun-dried tomatoes a little overpowering. So, if you aren’t a huge sun-dried tomato fan, I’d recommend putting in less or omitting them altogether. Of course, if you do, you might want to take the sun-dried out of the name!
Olive and Sun-Dried Tomato Vegetables
1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
5 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
4 tablespoons black olives, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch strips
Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the 1/3 cup of olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, and dried thyme. Set aside.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of oil and once hot add the shallots. Sautee for a few minutes, until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the zucchini, pepper, and summer squash. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until tender.
Add the sautéed vegetables to the bowl with the sundries tomatoes and olives. Mix to combine.
Source: Giada At Home