Baked Mixed Vegetables
Ingredients
- 113 g eggplant
- salt (as needed)
- 225 g potatoes
- 5 T grated pecorino cheese (or equal parts Romano and Parmesan, divided [about 40g])
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 175 g tomatoes (ripe, firm, fresh)
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 t finely chopped red chili pepper (to taste)
- 6 basil leaves (6 small or 3 large, torn by hand into small pieces)
- 1 T dried bread crumbs (unflavored)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F / Gas 6.
2. Slice away the eggplant's green top, wash it, and cut it lengthwise into slices 1/4" (5mm) thick or less.
3. Set a colander over a bowl or deep dish, line it inside with one layer of eggplant slices, placing them vertically. Sprinkle lightly with salt, place another layer of eggplant over the first, sprinkle a tiny bit more salt over it. Proceed thus until you have used up all the slices. Let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow the eggplant to shed some of its astringent liquid.
4. Use a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler to peel the tomatoes. Cut them in half, scoop out the seeds with a spoon (do not squeeze them), and cut into 1/3" (8mm) wide strips.
5. Peel the peppers by the same method used on the tomatoes, split them open, remove the white pith and all the seeds, and cut the peppers lengthwise into strips 1/2" (1cm) wide.
6. Peel the potatoes, wash in cold water, and slice very thinly. Put them in a bowl and set aside. (If preparing in advance, add cold water to the bowl to cover the potatoes).
**Stop here if preparing in advance; return when ready to assemble and bake dish.**
7. To the potatoes (drain first if you've had them in a bowl of water), add 1 Tbsp grated cheese, 1/2 Tbsp of the oil, and salt; toss several times to coat each slice well.
8. Combine the tomatoes and peppers in a bowl, adding salt, 3 Tbsp of grated cheese, chopped chili pepper, and the basil leaves. Toss several times to coat well.
9. Evenly coat the bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 Tbsp oil. Spread half the sliced potatoes over the bottom of the dish.
10. Distribute half the pepper and tomato combination over the potatoes and top with the sliced eggplant. Spread the remaining pepper and tomato mixture over the eggplant, and top with the remaining sliced potatoes.
11. Combine 1 Tbsp grated cheese with the breadcrumbs and sprinkle the mixture over the potatoes. Over them drizzle 1 Tbsp oil, distributing it evenly. Bake in the uppermost level of the preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes until the top becomes colored a tawny gold. Allow to settle for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Note from source: Ahead of time note: The most time-consuming part of this dish is peeling and slicing the vegetables, and you can do that several hours in advance. Do not toss them with salt, however, until you are ready to assemble and bake the dish because that would cause them to shed liquid.
SJ Note 15 July 2011: This was only okay. I won't be making it again. If you do make it, you might skip peeling the tomatoes and bell pepper; in the finished dish, this seemed only to detract, making a mushier final product than needed to be. Chris felt it could use more potatoes; if you don't like eggplant, certainly substitute potatoes instead, and maybe add some more as well. You might also want to add more seasonings or herbs.