Courgette cake Cristina (pastís de carbassó christina)

Wine flows through the veins of the Spanish Torres family. From the fourth generation, brother Miguel stayed behind at the winery in Catalonia, and sister Marimar Torres moved to California. To make wine there with a Spanish vibe, but also to cook and write recipes, as that is her second passion. - TEXT MARJOLEIN SCHUMAN | IMAGE SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

The Catalan Country Kitchen

'Catalan cuisine is cooking from the heart', says Marimar. After all, that includes flavours we all love: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, onions, nuts, dried fruit and lots of fresh herbs. The recipes in this WINELIFE are from her second cookbook from 1992, which is still selling: The Catalan Country Kitchen. The subtitle is 'Food and wine from the Pyrenees to Barcelona's Mediterranean coast'. That means rustic country stews flavoured with the classic quartet of rosemary, thyme, oregano and basil, as well as more sophisticated restaurant versions of peasant classics; from game-focused inland dishes such as roast rabbit and poultry with garlic or fruit dressing to coastal gems such as paella. And of course tapas. 

Courgette cake Cristina (pastís de carbassó christina)

WHAT YOU NEED [APPETISER 6 TO 8 PEOPLE]

• ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1.5 kg medium courgettes (10), grated
• 40 g butter
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 225 grams of ricotta cheese
• 175 g grated cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

This is how you make it

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of salt over the grated courgette and let stand in a colander for 15 to 20 minutes to release the moisture. Then squeeze out further in a cloth.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Heat 15g butter in a medium frying pan and fry the onion slowly for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the frying pan and stir-fry the courgette for 10 minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool. Add the onion, ricotta, 120g grated cheese, eggs, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix well and taste for seasoning.

Grease with oil or butter a rectangular baking tin of about 22 x 12.5 centimetres and pour in the mixture. Sprinkle the remaining grated cheese on top. Bake in the oven for an hour or until the cheese on top is golden brown. Let cool and cut into slices. Tip: make small cakes in paper moulds and bake for about 20 minutes.

Are you curious about more recipes from Marimar? Read about it in WINELIFE Magazine 81. Order this one here!

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