Mixed vegetables in a bed of tomatoes

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 3 m.-sized carrot(s)
• 300 g bush beans
• 3 stalk(s) Celery
• 3 bell peppers, color as desired
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 g tomatoes, chopped, from the can
• 5 sprigs of oregano or 2 tsp dried
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper, from the mill
• 100 g butter
• 50 g almond flakes
• Parmesan
• 8 small cherry tomatoes or cocktail tomatoes
• 1 handful of basil leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 40 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Wash the beans and trim off the ends. Wash the celery, trim off the ends and first cut lengthwise into equal-thickness strips, then cut the strips into thirds. Peel the carrots and cut diagonally into approximately 1 cm thick slices. Wash and dry the bell peppers. Cut out the stem ends and quarter them. Remove the seeds and the white membranes. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Fill a 24 cm wide saucepan with about 1.5 cm of water. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and the sugar and bring to a boil. Add the carrot slices, cover and blanch for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add the beans to the carrot stock and blanch, covered, for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in another bowl. Add the celery strips to the cooking stock and blanch, covered, for about 7 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl. Add the bell pepper pieces to the broth, cover, and blanch for about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl. Add the tomato pulp to the vegetable broth and reduce with the oregano for about 5 minutes. Remove the oregano from the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Spread the tomato mixture in a wide dish. Add the vegetables one by one, filling the dish completely. Bake in an oven preheated to 160°C (top/bottom heat) for about 10 minutes on the middle rack. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add the almonds and lightly brown in the butter. Drizzle this almond butter over the vegetables. Grate Parmesan cheese on top and garnish with cherry tomatoes and basil, if desired.