When we cleared the rockery bed of old thyme, straggly and past its best, I set aside a bunch for cooking. I had this stew in mind, full of rainbow vegetables, the sort that tastes better the next day after a night in the fridge for the flavours to develop. Serves 4, if eaten with chunky bread
2 large onions, thinly sliced
Olive oil
1 large red pepper, de-seeded and cut into chunks
2 large courgettes, sliced into slices as wide as a Euro coin
400g jar chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Large bunch of fresh thyme
Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp capers
2 cloves garlic, chopped Gently warm a couple of tbsp. of olive oil in large deep frying pan, and add the onions and red pepper. Allow to soften over the moderate heat. Add the courgette slices, two sploshes of balsamic vinegar, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, capers and thyme. Tuck the thyme down into the vegetables. If you think it is necessary, add more olive oil. Cook for 15-20 minutes.

Add the chickpeas, check the seasoning. At this stage, Nigel Slater [for this is one of his recipes] adds 8 basil leaves – I didn’t because I didn’t have any]. Cook through until warm. Check the seasoning, and add more pepper or vinegar as you prefer.

Serve in a deep bowl with crusty bread, we eat it with Mercadona’s gluten-free baguettes. 5 to remember
ralo/a – straggly
las alcaparras – the capers
un recipiente profundo –  a deep bowl
el pan crujiente – the crusty bread
un baguette – a baguette

Got enough room for pudding? Make this:-
Canela apple cake
Crispy pear crumble
Plum and pecan crumble

Recipe adapted from A Year of Good Eating by Nigel Slater [UK: Fourth Estate]

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
A stew with fresh thyme #recipe by @NigelSlater via @Spanish_Valley http://wp.me/p3dYp6-1KJ