Farmers Market Casserole Step-by-Step Recipe

Our local Farmers Market is bursting with the bounty of summer produce. Red, sun ripened tomatoes, purple eggplants, summer squash, onions and leeks, a variety of herbs -- all laid out in tempting display.

I like to cook with seasonal ingredients because not only do you get the best quality and best flavor, but it's also cheaper. 

Unfortunately, I can't limit myself to a few items when faced with such a selection and end up returning home with a bulging bag. And there's the garden produce to consider...and I have to figure out ways to use all of it up and keep the family from complaining.

So I was really excited to discover a recipe in the Weight Watchers Family Meals cookbook that made good use of all kinds of vegetables I'd picked up at the Farmers Market and from my garden.

It's a layered dish, but still pretty easy to make and full of flavor and summertime goodness.

Farmer Market Casserole with Tomato, Eggplant and Zucchini

Right now all the ingredients are in season, which makes this the perfect summer recipe.

Makes 4 servings and is vegetarian and gluten free.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small eggplant (about 3/4 pound), unpeeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (or you can substitute about 2 or 3 tablespoons of fresh leaves), divided

3-4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoons salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh sweet basil

3/4 pound medium to small tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices (should be about equivalent to tomatoes)

1/4 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Spray a shallow 8-cup casserole dish or 9-inch deep pie plate with olive oil nonstick spray.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, onions, half the oregano, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper; cook, stirring, until eggplant is very tender and browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat if eggplants brown too quickly. Transfer to prepared dish or pie plate.

 3. Mix parsley, basil, remaining oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over eggplant mixture.

Even though the herbs are not the title of the recipe, they are key to adding flavor to the dish! 

4. Arrange tomato and zucchini slices on top of the herb-covered eggplant in alternating rows, overlapping slices.

Don't they look pretty? Mmm, nothing beats the flavor of garden tomatoes.

5. Bake until vegetables are tender and browned along the edges, about 25 to 30 minutes.

6. Sprinkle evenly with cheese and place under broiler for about 2 minutes. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Note: Next time I might use goat cheese or Feta crumbles, both of which are locally produced by El Camino de Las Capbras. If you try it out let me know what you think!

Adventure Ho! Off to Bangladesh We Go!

So we are about to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, through 12 time zones, halfway across the world to Bangladesh. This is a bittersweet trip. We were originally supposed to visit in winter, with my parents. My dad was as excited as a kid going to a circus. He'd appointed himself tourguide for my kids' first trip to the first country I had ever known. Instead, my cowboy husband and I are leading the trip.

Part of me keeps thinking of all the people and things that won't be there: my dad, my maternal grandmother (the one who told me my first djinn stories), my favorite teacher, the house I grew up in. But another part of me is determined to do my best as substitute tour guide. So here are some things I'm hoping will get done:

1. Visit with my dad's extended family, many of whom will be meeting the kids for the first time.

2. Tasting my way through all my dad's favorite foods. He loved grocery shopping and I hope to visit one or two of the markets while I'm there.

3. Visiting my old school and haunts with the kids in tow. Show them the trees I grew up with.

4. Visit my mom's village where we spent many wonderful summer holidays.

5. Go on some crazy, bone-jolting, fun rickshaw rides.

And on a personal note, I hope to be taking many pictures, collecting stories, and learning to see Bangadesh through my kids' point of view.

I'm going to help my kids know the country like their grandfather used to, I'm going to make Bengali memories for my family. I'm going to embrace this trip as a joyous adventure and know that my dad is along for the ride in spirit.

I don't know when I'll be able to post again...so may your summer too be fun, safe & full of happy adventures!

Bangladesh Biman, the official airlines of Bangladesh

Easy As Pie Tomato Pie

I met Glutenfree Girl or Shauna James Ahern on twitter while whining about attending my first foodie conference, the giganaramous and impressive IACP Conference in Austin. She was kind enough to tweet at me and reassure me that'd she'd been in a similar boat not too long ago and I'd be okay. Now, I'd heard of Shauna, read her blog and recent cookbook (Loved the sweet lovestory of her and the chef)and so I was totally wowed that she took the time. In Austin, I did feel kind of lost but there were too many nice people around for me to stay that way for too long. I even managed to say hi to Shauna.

So when I saw @glutenfreegirl tweeting about #pieparty, well I just had to jump in to the fun :)

My 9-year-old recently brought home Easy as Pie by Cari Best and Melissa Sweet.

I simply adored the book, maybe even more than my son. The book celebrates the joys of the kitchen, but also touches important themes like cooperation, finishing up tasks, cleaning up your messes and working for a solution-- all without preaching but through baking. In fact, young and adult bakers should all try and follow ~

Chef Monty's Baking Rules:

1. A happy baker bakes a happy pie.
2. Concentrate on what you're doing no matter what.
3. If something unexpected happens,fix it as best as you can.
4. Always leave your kitchen as you found it.
5. Don't give up even when what you're making doesn't look the way it's supposed to.
6. A baker can always use some help.
7. Always finish what you start.
8. A pie is ready when it's ready and not a minute before!

Besides the rules and the story, the book also comes with a "Happy Peach Pie" recipe on the back. By the end of our reading, we were both ready to bake.

Only problem was an untimely frost killed off our peach blossoms and this summer I have zero peaches. But I had buckets of tomatoes! So we used Rule #3.

The recipe called for refrigerated pie dough and well, keeping things simple is one of my cardinal rules. So went with refrigerated pie dough.

Now a lot of tomato pie recipes call for Mayo, never liked the stuff: so went with a quiche-style filling. The kids took turns whisking the egg mixture. Threw in some sliced onions and micro-Thai Basil from the garden. Layer everything in starting with the cheese.

Add the egg batter.

Popped it into a 375 degrees oven for 35 minutes. Let it cool and served it to the family.

Verdict:

Six-year-old: We are like the cooking shows on tv. We cook, cook, cook, take pictures, finally eat and then we judge it.

Well this one got thumbs up all around the table.

Recipe:

1 unbaked 9-inch refrigerated pie crust, set into the pie pan
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, divided
4 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 small yellow onion sliced
1 tablespoon micro-basil leaves or slivered basil
4 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Have the unbaked pie crust in the pan, ready.

Sprinkle the mozzarella and 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese on the bottom of the crust,single layer tomatoes, onions and basil on top.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning and flour. Pour it into the pie shell. Sprinkle the reserved 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

You can add a few more slices of tomatoes on top.

Bake 35 minutes. Serve with a side salad.

I even like this cold and could eat if for breakfast, lunch and dinner!