Recipes 9/4 or 9/5
Crisp Tomato, Zucchini, and Eggplant Bread Gratin
1/2 medium eggplant, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Kosher salt
6 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or mashed
One 14-ounce loaf rustic white bread, crusts removed and bread sliced 1/2 inch thick
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 C torn basil leaves
3 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 tsp thyme leaves
Preheat the oven to 400°. In a colander, toss the eggplant and zucchini with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain well and gently squeeze out any excess liquid.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the olive oil with the garlic. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic-infused oil. Tear the bread into 2 inch pieces and line the bottom of the baking dish with bread, fitting the pieces tightly together. Drizzle the bread with 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the bread with half of the basil.
In a medium bowl, toss the eggplant and zucchini with 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the tomato slices with salt and pepper.
Arrange the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes over the bread, overlapping them if necessary. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining garlic oil.
Bake the gratin for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables begin to brown and the bottom of the bread is golden brown. Remove the vegetable gratin from the oven and let stand until cooled slightly, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining basil, cut into pieces and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The gratin can be baked up to 2 hours in advance. Reheat in a 350° oven or serve at room temperature. (From foodandwine.com)
Roasted Beet Salad
4 medium beets (about 1 1/2 pounds), ends trimmed
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
2 Tbls sugar
1/2 C walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 8 wedges each
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 C arugula (optional)
4 Tbls (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Wrap the beets in foil and set on a baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until a knife easily pierces the beets. Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Peel the beets, cut each into 8 wedges (wear disposable rubber gloves if you’re concerned about the beets staining on your hands), and transfer to a bowl.
Meanwhile, combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until reduced by about half and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Set aside.
Place the walnuts in a large nonstick skillet and cook over medium-high heat, shaking the pan often, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly toasted. Transfer to the bowl with the beets.
Add the oil to the skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add the pears and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Remove from the heat.
Add the reserved vinegar mixture, the salt, and pepper to the beets, tossing to coat well. Place 1/2 cup arugula (if using) on each of 4 plates and top with the beet mixture and pears. Sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon blue cheese. (From organicgardening.com)
Cheese Stuffed Summer Squash
6 summer squash
Boiling salted water
1 small onion, minced
2 Tbls butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 C fine dry bread crumbs
1/2 C Cheddar cheese, shredded
Cut off stem ends of the squash (zucchini, yellow crookneck, or patty pan) and cook in about 1 inch of boiling, salted water until barely tender. About 8 to 10 minutes. Cool and for the patty pans cut a circle in the top or cut the other squash in halves lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving shells about 1/4 inch thick. Cook onion in butter until softened but not browned. Add squash pulp, salt, pepper, and bread crumbs. Mix well and spoon into squash shells. Arrange in a shallow baking dish and top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.
(From cooks.com)
Green Beans Braised w/ Tomatoes and Basil
3 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
1 C finely chopped white onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 lb green beans, trimmed
2 large plum tomatoes, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 C (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/2 C water
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion softens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add green beans, tomatoes, basil leaves, and 1/2 cup water. Cook until beans are crisp-tender, stirring and tossing occasionally, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve. (From epicurious.com)