Baked Potatoes with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Garlic

                                                      Comfort Food Time

Well, the holidays are over, and it's time to face the winter here in Massachusetts.  I like to think it's easier with some comfort food, and actually some of my favorite foods fall into that category.  After the holiday, I was not in the mood to cook anything that made any kind of a mess, but I felt the need for comfort, so I thought of the following which may not even qualify as a "recipe" but was incredibly delicious.

Baked Potatoes with Zucchini, Tomatoes, and Garlic

For two:

2 large baking potatoes, well scrubbed
2 good-sized, fresh zucchinis - a lot depends upon having good tasting zucchinis here
1-2 cloves garlic
olive oil
6 cherry tomatoes, sliced in half or quarters, depending on their size
grated cheese, optional

Bake the potatoes at 425 until the skins are crisp and the interior soft.  Remove from the stove and set aside.

Slice the zucchinis in half the long way; turn and slice the long way again.  Then slice horizontally into about quarter inch slices.  Mince the garlic.  Heat a tablespoon or two of olive oil in a pan that is not nonstick. You actually want things to stick a bit.  When the oil is very warm, put in the garlic and stir around for a half minute or less.  Then throw in the zucchini pieces and the tomatoes and quickly stir fry until the zucchini is almost firm/tender - DO NOT OVERCOOK!  Add a little salt/pepper. At this point there should be a little sticking in the pan.  Add about a quarter of a cup of water or broth (less if your tomatoes are very juicy) and stir, getting up all the browned bits on the bottom. Everything should be a little moist with just a a bit of saucy stuff around the bottom of the pan - add more water or broth if it is not a bit saucy.  Remove from heat.

Quickly slice the potatoes the long way on top, push the sides down to flatten and roughly mash the potato with a fork right in the skin.  Then put the zucchini/tomato mixture on top of the potatoes.  Add some grated cheese if you like and serve.

You may be asking, "Is this a dinner?"  For us, it is a satisfying one,  but if is not sufficient,  I would suggest a salad, prepared in advance.

I hope you like this simple idea.

Enjoy and be well!