Really, Really Good. Don't layer the veggies too thickly; give them a bit of space.
Gratin of Eggplant, Tomato, and Zucchini
Jacques and Julia Cooking at Home
Yield: A large dish, serving 6 to 8 or 2, if you really like it :P
.5 cup or so olive oil, excellent quality
1 large or 2 medium eggplants, about 1.25 pounds
1 Tbs Herbes de Provence
1 tsp salt
2 medium zucchini, about 1 lb total
3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, about 1 lb total
.5 tsp freshly ground pepper
For the bread-crumb topping:
.5 cup or so fresh bread crumbs, not too finely ground
1/3 cup or so freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1. Make bread crumbs: Using homestyle white bread, crusts removed, tear bread into small chunks and pulse them, about 2 cups at a time, in a food processor.
2. Arrange the rack on the lower-middle level of the oven and preheat to 400 F. Smear the baking sheet generously with 1/3 cup of the olive oil.
3. Trim off the ends of the eggplant and slice it on the diagonal into ovals of .5 inch thick. One at a time, lay the slices on the sheet, press to coat lightly with oil and turn them over. Arrange the slices, oiled side up, in a single layer and sprinkle on .5 tsp each of salt and herbes de Provence.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, until the eggplant slices are soft and somewhat shriveled; allow to cool briefly. Leave the oven on if you will be baking the gratin right away.
5. Meanwhile, trim the ends off the zucchini and cut lengthwise into slices no more than .25 inch thick. Core the tomatoes and cut into slices .25 inch thick. Spread out the slices and sprinkle them lightly with .5 tsp of salt and .25 tsp of freshly ground pepper.
6. Film the gratin or baking dish with 1 tsp olive oil and sprinkle a tsp of the dried herbs all over the bottom. Lay one or two eggplant slices, lengthwise, against a narrow side of the dish. Arrange a long slice or two of zucchini in front of the eggplant, then place 2 or 3 tomato slices in front of the zucchini. Repeat the procedure to fill the pan with alternating rows of eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes. Arrange each new row of slices so the colorful top edges of the previous row are still visible.
7. Mix together the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and a tsp of the herbes de Provence. Add a tbsp of olive oil, then toss and rub it in with your fingers to coat the crumbs but keep them loose. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the vegetables and drizzle the rest of the oil over all. Place the dish in the center of the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft, the juices are bubbling, and the top is a deep golden brown. Serve hot, directly from the baking dish.
Notes: After veg are assembled and topped with crumb, gratin can be refrigerated for several hours. Preheat oven, sprinkle on last olive oil just before baking.
Posted by cheryl at December 25, 2007 02:38 PM