A late-summer trip to the farm stand or market can fill your window sill and refrigerator with ripening vegetables just waiting for you to slice and savor. It may be hard to choose among the plump tomatoes, yellow squash and purple eggplant ... so don't! Try them all in this Summer's Garden Dinner.
Gather Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Small eggplant
- Small to medium
- Small Vidalia onion
- Medium tomato
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
- 10-15 basil leaves
- 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
You'll need a casserole dish about 9 inches in diameter by 3 or 4 inches deep. Oil with olive oil and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.
Gather your vegetables and herbs and wash them well and set aside. You'll need one small eggplant, one small to medium crook-necked (yellow) squash, one small vidalia onion, one medium to large tomato and about 10 to 15 basil leaves. The quantity of vegetables and which summer vegetables to use may be altered to suit your taste and desire to experiment!
Grate 4 to 5 tablespoons or 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese. You may use more if you love cheese. However, go light and you may be surprised by how it allows each vegetable flavor to sing. Measure 1/3 cup of bread crumbs. Measure 1/3 cup olive oil.
Prepare Vegetables in Layers
On a cutting board and using a sharp knife, cut the vegetables in thin slices and tear the basil leaves. Begin by layering the eggplant in the bottom of the oiled baking dish. Sprinkle a few basil leaves and Parmesan. Drizzle the layer with oil. Next, overlay the squash and follow with a sprinkling of basil, Parmesan and oil. Then layer the onion and finally the tomato in the same fashion. Finally, sprinkle the tomato layer with bread crumbs. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Cook
Cook the casserole in the preheated oven for thirty minutes. Remove the foil, increase temperature to 375 degrees and cook for another 15 minutes. When done, remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes. This final step will make slicing and serving easier.
Serve
Cut layer vegetables in wedge-shaped sections and serve with pasta or basmati rice, warm bread, and your favorite wine. Your Summer Garden Dinner is simple, but light and perfect for a lazy day. What could be more healthy than a simple dinner from the garden? Vegetables are at the peak of flavor now, so enjoy the subtle blend of their tastes and textures.
Prepare Vegetables Again Soon
Don't stop eating vegetables when the weather cools. Buy extra quantities now, while they are in season, blanch them (dip them in boiling hot water) and seal them in jars or simply bag or box them up for the freezer. Remember the flavorful taste of summer long into the fall and winter.
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