If you have a garden, or if you visit a farmstand or farmer's market towards the end of August, there is usually an abundance of both tomatoes and zucchini. I am still getting tomatoes in my garden, but the funny-looking zucchini came from a grower that was at the Goddard Park farmer's market last week. The basil came from my garden, as well as the last of my garlic.
I make this in an 8" X 6" pyrex dish so that it can be cooked in my toaster oven, but you could double it and cook it in a larger pan if needed.
ZUCCHINI TOMATO GRATIN
1-1/2 lb. tomatoes, cut into 1/4" slices
2 med. zucchini (1 lb.) cut into 1/8" thick diagonal slices
1 TBsp. + 1 tsp. olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 Tbs. roughly chopped kalamata olives
1/4 cup thinly sliced basil leaves
1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese
Sea Salt
Drape the tomatoes over a colander, sprinkle with salt & let drain 45 minutes. (Pat dry after.)
Spread zucchini on baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let stand 30 minutes to sweat out excess moisture. Rinse well and pat dry.
Preheat oven to 375. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in skillet over med-hi heat. Saute zucchini 3 to 4 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to plate. Do this in 2 batches if necessary, adding mor oil between batches.
Layer half of zucchini slices in baking pan. Top with half of tomatoes. Sprinkle with half of the garlic, 1 Tbsp. olives, half of basil, and one third of the cheese; season with fresh ground black pepper.
Drizzle top with 1 tsp. olive oil, and sprinkle with remaining one third of cheese. Cover with foil, and bake 10 minutes.
Remove foil and bake 20 more minutes or until cheese is melted & gratin is bubbling. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
