SERVES 6
In Nice everyone loves lu farçum, which means stuffed things. The term is applied almost exclusively to vegetables that are stuffed, baked and served hot or cold at the Beginning of a meal. In addition to the vegetables used here, stuffed tomatoes, aubergines (eggplants) and peppers can also be prepared in the same way and the stuffing can be flavoured with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and/or fresh basil.
3 medium courgettes (zucchini)
6 small turnips
6 medium red onions
Salt
STUFFING
4 slices firm white bread, crusts removed
350 ml (12 fl oz) milk
15 ml (1 tbsp, olive Oil
225 g (8 oz) lean minced veal
225 g (8 oz) lean minced pork
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil for roasting tin and vegetables
Cut the courgettes (zucchini) into 6.5 cm (2.5 inch) lengths. Scoop out and discard the flesh with a melon baller or small spoon, leaving the walls of the hollowed cylinders about 1.2 cm (3/8 inch) thick.
Slice the top third from each turnip, leaving if possible, 2 cm (3/4 inch) of the green stems attached; reserve the tops. Scoop out and discard the flesh with a melon baller, leaving the turnip walls about 1.2 cm (3/8 inch) thick.
Prepare the onions in the same manner as the turnips.
Blanch the turnips and their caps for 2 minutes in a saucepan of boiling salted water. Place upside down on a rack to drain.
Preheat oven to 200 C (400 F) mark 6.
Prepare the stuffing: put the slices of bread in the milk and leave to soak. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the minced veal and pork and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Squeeze out the bread and stir into the meat mixture along with the egg and parslev. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix together well.
Season the interiors of the vegetables with salt and pepper, then spoon the stuffing into the vegetables.
Brush a roasting tin with olive oil. Arrange the vegetables in the tin and brush them with oil. Reduce the oven heat to 190 C (375 F) mark 5 and bake the vegetables for 40-45 minutes, until just tender. Place the tops on the vegetables 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Serve hot or cold.