Garden Medley
This fresh from the garden dish can be served both vegetarian or with prosciutto or the ham of your choice. Delicious on bruschetta. I created this in my kitchen in an Italian version.
This fresh from the garden dish can be served both vegetarian or with prosciutto or the ham of your choice. Delicious on bruschetta. I created this in my kitchen in an Italian version.
- Carbohydrate 32.1605645833333 g
- Cholesterol 93.7475 mg
- Fat 30.5851934882479 g
- Fiber 13.8660593282496 g
- Protein 10.7461045405983 g
- Saturated Fat 4.75998953472222 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (670g)
- Sodium 72.4407483974359 mg
- Sugar 18.2945052550837 g
- Trans Fat 1.50250456891026 g
- Calories 417 calories
Step-by-step
- Wash and cut the eggplant in round slices, brush with oil, sprinkle with italian herbs and bake for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile sautee the chopped mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, garlic in olive oil in a large pan.
- Brush with oil an oven dish and layer the baked eggplant slices, the mushroom mixture, the tomato cut in round slices.
- If using ham add it now to the medley.
- Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
- Sprinkle parmesan on top.
- Add one beaten egg and basil leaves and bake for 20 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy.
Swapping the fresh garlic for aged black garlic shifts the flavor profile from sharp and pungent to deeply savory and sweet, altering the entire character of the dish. Constructing layered vegetable bakes requires thoughtful equipment choices to manage moisture effectively. Eggplant and zucchini release significant water during baking, making shallow metal sheet pans inferior to deep ceramic or glass casserole dishes that contain juices while promoting proper evaporation. A heavy baking dish retains thermal mass better than thin aluminum alternatives, ensuring even heat distribution across dense layers of portobello mushrooms and tomatoes.
Managing Moisture and Doneness
Achieving structural integrity in vegetable gratins depends entirely on moisture control. Excess liquid prevents the beaten egg from setting into a coherent binder. Salting sliced eggplant thirty minutes before assembly draws out bitter compounds and excess water, preventing a soggy final texture. Without a thermometer for this style of layered casserole, doneness relies strictly on visual cues. Watch for the edges of the tomato slices to collapse and the parmesan cheese on top to turn a deep golden brown, signaling that the interior moisture has reduced sufficiently. The baking process takes approximately 20 minutes at standard roasting temperatures after the initial vegetable prep is complete.
- Ensure the baking dish is thoroughly oiled or greased to prevent sticking during the final 20-minute bake.
- Slice vegetables uniformly to 1/4-inch thickness so they soften at identical rates in the oven.
- Whisk the egg thoroughly before adding it to distribute the protein evenly throughout the layers.
