Gigantes Plaki With Black Olives & Feta Cheese

Drain and rinse the tinned butter beans. Set aside. This preparation removes the preserving liquid and prepares the beans for cooking.

In a large pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil per person over medium heat. Add the finely chopped brown onion and sliced garlic, sautéing until they begin to soften.

Add the sliced zucchini to the pan and continue cooking until it starts to soften. Then, incorporate the chopped tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Crumble 1/4 of a vegetable stock cube per person add this to the pan along with 50ml of water per person, the drained butter beans, a generous sprinkle of dried basil and oregano, and half of the thinly sliced fresh basil. Mix well and bring to a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.

While the Gigantes Plaki cooks, halve the baguette and drizzle each half with olive oil. Sprinkle dried basil and oregano on top. Place on a baking sheet and toast in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 10 minutes, or until golden and crisp.

Once the Plaki is thoroughly heated and the sauce has thickened slightly, stir in the Kalamata olives and crumbled feta cheese. Let it cook for an additional 2 minutes to warm the olives and slightly melt the feta.

Remove the pan from heat and garnish the Gigantes Plaki with the remaining fresh basil and chopped fresh parsley.

Serve the Gigantes Plaki directly from the pan, accompanied by the toasted herbed baguette slices for dipping into the rich sauce.