Summer Vegetable Casserole

The quest to find new and interesting ways to use our CSA vegetables continues. Having received potatoes and zucchini again I was happy when I stumbled upon a recipe in Food and Wine magazine that used both. Jay and I were at our vacation house in Vermont last weekend and stopped at our favorite local farm stand, Dutton’s. Even though we are receiving quite the bounty from our CSA share, we could not resist. Having already found my recipe while leisurely reading magazines on the porch swing I knew we only needed tomatoes. Dutton’s provided some wonderfully red and ripe fresh tomatoes that were just bit ugly on the outside. As any tomato connoisseur will tell you the uglier the tomato the better!

The recipe was adapted from the one in the magazine. Since we had red potatoes from the share they were used instead of the Yukon Gold that were recommended.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1/2 pound fresh red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 pound fresh plum tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 small fresh zucchini (1/2 pound), sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat a 9-inch baking dish with olive oil. Spread the potatoes in the dish in an even layer; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, onion, garlic and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Arrange two-thirds of the bell pepper mixture over the potatoes and drizzle with oil. Top with the tomatoes and the zucchini; drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the remaining bell pepper mixture and sprinkle with the cheese.

2. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°. Uncover the casserole and bake for about 20 minutes longer, until the vegetables are tender and glazed on top. Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve warm.

The recipe was delicious and Jay and I both enjoyed it paired with a few ears of fresh corn also from Dutton’s. The idea of cooking it on low heat covered with tin foil is wonderful. This made the vegetables, especially the potatoes, have a fantastic flavor. I think it came from being “steamed” in the olive oil so the flavor was infused throughout. When I make it again I will cut the potatoes slightly thinner than ¼ inch as they were a touch undercooked. Jay and I both agreed that the recipe really would only work with fresh tomatoes as the shipped and packaged variety would not have as much flavor and would leave the recipe lacking.

The next day I took some of the leftovers and chopped them up further. I than placed them in a heated skillet and cooked like a hash. When almost heated through I added a couple of eggs to the pan and cooked over easy. This preparation was even better than the original. I would definitely consider this recipe a must do, especially if you want a fabulous breakfast or brunch the next day.

Mangia,

Margot