The long days of summer are behind us, but the warmth of early September continues to produce delicious bounties from the garden.
Serve up this colorful side dish alongside grilled or roasted meats, or treat it as a satisfying vegetarian entrée beside a salad and some crusty bread. The addition of soft, melted fontina and the sharp tang of salty Parmesan creates a vegetable dish sophisticated enough for grown-ups but also may encourage more than a “no thank you” bite from your little ones.
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 small red onions, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
2–3 tomatoes, preferably Roma or other low-seed variety, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces fontina or mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1–2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 450 F. Lightly brush zucchini and red onion slices with olive oil, and arrange on two baking sheet pans (onions on one, squash on the other). Season with oregano, basil, salt, and pepper. Roast at 450 F until zucchini is about halfway cooked, 5–7 minutes, and onions are caramelized and almost tender, 10–12 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool slightly.
Artfully layer the two types of squash, onions, tomatoes, and fontina in a glass pie plate or baking dish. Drizzle with a little bit of additional olive oil. Scatter with minced garlic, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake gratin at 450 F until cheese is melted and golden-brown in places, about 15–20 minutes.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
To choose your organically grown and fresh ingredients wisely, use the following criteria:
·chemical- and hormone-free meat
·wild-caught fish
·pastured-raised, organic eggs
·whole, unrefined grains
·virgin, unrefined, first-press organic oils
·whole-food, unrefined sweeteners
·pure, clean, spring water
·sea salt
·raw and/or cultured milk and cream products
For books on organic gardening, check out…
The Soul of Soil: A Soil-Building Guide for Master Gardeners and Farmers
A Year on the Garden Path: A 52-Week Organic Gardening Guide
The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-Round Guide to Growing Organic Food
