Recipe
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 tablespoons 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 cup torn basil leaves
3 medium tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 teaspoon 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
