Summer Vegetable Gratin
"While this recipe calls for summer vegetables, my brother and SIL prepared it for Christmas dinner 2009 and I loved it. Good as a vegetarian main dish or a side. It's not quite the same as other vegetable gratins already on RecipeZaar. Personally, I would make this with less olive oil, the amount of which I specified in the ingredients, but you can use the original amount if you prefer (just convert teaspoons to tablespoons). This can also be made ahead after assembly and before baking. Just pre-heat the oven. Try to buy the zucchini and squash of roughly the same diameter. I might serve this with bread to soak up the juices. To make this vegan, omit the parmesan cheese. They found this recipe on America's TV test kitchen."
photo by Jonathan Melendez
- Ready In:
- 2hrs 10mins
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
4-6
ingredients
- 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb zucchini, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices
- 1 lb summer squash, ends trimmed and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick slices (yellow)
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 1⁄2 lbs tomatoes, ripe and sliced 1/4 inch thick (3-4 large)
- 2 medium onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thin (about 3 cups)
- 3⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 medium garlic cloves, minced (or pressed through garlic press, about 2 teaspoons)
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leave, minced
- 1 large slice white bread, torn into quarters
- 2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
- 2 medium shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
- 1⁄4 cup fresh basil leaf, chopped
directions
- Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400 degree. Brush 13- by 9-inch baking dish with 1 teaspoon oil; set aside.
- Toss zucchini and squash slices with 1 teaspon salt in large bowl; transfer to colander set over bowl. Let stand until zuccchini and squash release at least 3 tablespoons of liquid, about 45 minutes. Arrange slices on triple layer paper towels; cover with another triple layer paper towels and firmly press each slice to remove as much liquid as possible.
- Meanwhile, place tomato slices in single layer on double layer paper towels and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Place second doube layer paper towels on top of tomatoes and press firmly to dry.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onions, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened and dark golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
- Combine garlic, 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon pepper and thyme in small bowl. In large bowl, toss zucchini and squash in half of oil mixture, then arrange in greased baking dish. Arrange caramelized onions in even layer over squash. Slightly overlap tomato slices in single layer on top of onions, Spoon remaining garlic-oil mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are starting to brown on edges, 40-45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, process bread in food processor or belender until finely ground (about 10 seconds). You should have about 1 cup crumbs. Combine bread crumbs, remaining teaspoon oil, parmesan and shallots in medium bowl. Remove baking dish from oven and increase heat to 450 degrees. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture evenly on top of tomatoes. Bake until bubbling and cheese is lightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving.
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Reviews
-
Not only was this dish super beautiful, but it was incredibly tasty as well. Lots of steps but all worth it because the end result was amazing! -
Hubby put both thumbs up for this one! Definitely a five star! Delicious and love the colors in this. I used the smallest amount of oil I could. Thanks for posting Kumquat! Made for Photo Swap 8. Did make this ahead to fit our schedule, think you should add that category. -
This recipe was awesome. I made it for a dinner party and everyone enjoyed it - even those who are not crazy about squash (like me). I agree that the original amount of olive oil would have been too much. I didn't have fresh thyme, so I used a Rosemary herb seasoning mix from Pampered Chef and it was delicious. I also used plum tomatoes. It does take a lot of preparation, but it is worth it. I will definitely make this again. -
Excellent! I've made different versions a number of times but this was by far the best one! Kids & husband quite pleased! I did add a layer of fresh mozzarella medallions & used organic heirloom tomatoes, served w/some garlicky angel hair pasta. Winning! -
I saw this in Cook's Illustrated and really wanted to make it. Other than using about 1/2 roll of paper towels, I loved this! Great flavor, wonderful color. The fresh taste of the vegetables really comes shining through.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Kumquat the Cats fr
New York City, 72
<p>Clockwise from upper left, my dear friends Cranberry, Quincy, Kumquat and Kiwi. All of our cats were born in the wild and adopted by us. Zaar Chefs I have met so far: Elmotoo, justcallmeToni, ~Rita~, Midwest Maven, Bird&Buddha (both of them) and most recently, Ms*Bindy from upstate New York:) Wonderful, sweet, friendly people and great chefs! Most relevant thing to mention here is that I am a vegetarian, and recently became a vegan (almost 100%). To put vegetables and other things not meat or fish on the table I work as an actuary (in my case anyway, a combination of statistician, number-cruncher and/or programmer). For fun I like to travel. Just came back from Namibia, a peaceful democracy in Africa with lots of animals! Got some terrific pictures of lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, rhinocerous, hyenas, all kinds of antelopes, giraffes and zebras. Namibia is the second most sparsely populated country per square mile, just behind Mongolia. Update: We went to Italy this Spring. We had lots of pizza and pasta. The pizza is so much better in Italy, particularly the crust. The Amalfi coast was absolutely beautiful. Spectacular natural scenery (Canada and Alaska are really beautiful, Patagonia in Chile is sublime, Iceland is unique) has been my latest passion as far as travel destinations but I have seen quite a few big cities too (Paris, Berlin, London and Madrid to name a few). On my bulletin board at work I keep a list of every country I've visited (other than the U.S. of course). So far I've made it to five continents: Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and North America of course. I've got only two other continents to conquer:) I don't usually have difficulty finding vegetarian dishes here in the U.S. or overseas, but finding vegan dishes is much harder. I have no kids, just cats, Kumquat, Cranberry, and more recently Quincy and Kiwi. They are purebreds, of the breed alley caticus (okay, American shorthair I guess). Our cats are not vegetarians, though my boyfriend (significant other, long-term partner, whatever) is. I am a friend of all animals both tamed and wild. In addition I am a freethinker and my boyfriend studies philosophy. Either way, we get along pretty well. Also, please allow me to say that my BF and I recently bought a condominium in NYC.:) Pet peeve? Okay, I don't like public scenes, especially parents yelling at their children, lovers' spats, etc. If it must be done please do it in private:D Participation & Awards:</p>
