I know, I know, it’s getting towards fall and I’m sharing an heirloom tomato recipe. What was I thinking? I was lucky-I happened to get some of the last of the heirlooms at my local farmer’s market. That being said, most tomatoes, when baked and roasted get sweeter as they cook. I saw this recipe in Food and Wine, I think, and knew I just had to try it. I love tomatoes, eggplant and goat cheese. Plus, I have a little gathering of pots of herbs on my balcony and was excited to use some of them! Fresh herbs are key for me, whenever possible. Use good quality tomatoes here. Those barely-red tomatoes you get from the grocery store that were hothouse grown have no taste and won’t be great here. Maybe some nice, ripe Roma’s or even some Marzano!
Besides cutting and slicing the veggies, this really doesn’t take a lot of time. I ate this as a vegetarian main course one night, then paired it with some chicken as a side dish another night. I don’t do vegan. I appreciate your commitment if you do, just use whatever fake “cheese” is closest to goat cheese.
The eggplant provides a hearty addition, so you actually feel like you’ve eaten something and the protein in the cheese keeps you full for quite a while! Pair it with a salad to keep it healthy.
Enjoy!
Heirloom Tomato and Eggplant Gratin
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 pound baby Italian eggplants, peeled and sliced into rounds 1/4 to 1/3 inch thick
- 6 thyme sprigs
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 pound goat cheese, coarsely crumbled (1 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°.
- Brush a large oval baking dish with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- Arrange the tomato and eggplant slices in a single layer of overlapping concentric circles.
- Scatter the thyme sprigs on top and season with salt and pepper.
- Drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top.
- Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the eggplant is barely tender and the tomatoes have exuded their juices.
- Uncover the gratin and bake for about 25 minutes longer, or until the juices have evaporated and the vegetables are very tender.
- Sprinkle the goat cheese on top and bake for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.
