pat's Recipe

Crisp Tomato, Zucchini and Eggplant Bread Gratin

Category: SIDE DISHES

1/2 medium eggplant, sliced crosswise 1/4
inch thick
1 medium zucchini or yellow squash, sliced
crosswise, 1/2-inch thick
Kosher salt
6 Tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or mashed
1 14-ounce loaf rustic white bread, crusts
removed and bread sliced 1/2-inch thick
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup torn basil leaves
3 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 tsp thyme leaves

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a colander, toss the eggplant and zucchini with 1 tsp 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 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 1/2 tsp 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 Tbsp 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 Tbsp of the garlic oil and season 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.


6 servings