Provencal Vegetable Gratin Food

PROVENCAL VEGETABLE GRATIN FROM FOOD NETWORK KITCHENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Lightly grease a 7 by 11-inch baking dish with olive oil.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat.
• Add onions, garlic and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
• Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until completely softened and cooked but not browned.
• Stir in the basil and thyme. Spread on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
• Toss the sliced vegetables with the remaining olive oil and salt, and pepper.
• With the long side of the baking dish facing you, alternate the sliced vegetables in compact upright rows on top of the onion mixture.
• Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake until the vegetables are softened, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Uncover and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Continue baking until cheese begins to brown, about 20 minutes or so. Serve hot or at room temperature.

PROVENCAL POTATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rub 1 of the garlic cloves all over the inside of a large 1 1/2 quart oval casserole dish. Smear some of the olive oil all over the inside of the dish. Mince the rest of the garlic.
• Heat the rest of the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, and pepper, season with the salt and pepper, and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the vermouth and simmer to reduce by about half.
• Using a mandoline or vegetable slicer, slice the potatoes about 1/8-inch thick and add them to the pan with the water, salt, pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the basil.
• Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and shake the pan to distribute the potatoes evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Slice the tomatoes about a 1/4-inch thick and arrange them in a shingled pattern on top of the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
• Bake, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender about 1 1/2 hours. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake until brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and let casserole cool 10 minutes before serving. This can also be served at room temperature.

ROOT VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the heavy cream over the bottom of a 2 1/2-quart baking dish.
• Peel the potatoes, celery root and parsnips, then thinly slice on a mandolin into a large bowl; toss to combine. Spread about one-third of the potato mixture in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper and one-third of the remaining heavy cream.
• Top with another third of the potato mixture, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the thyme and about half of the remaining heavy cream. Finish with a thick layer of potato mixture and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Drizzle with the remaining heavy cream, then sprinkle with the manchego.
• Cover the gratin with foil and bake until the vegetables are very tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Preheat the broiler and carefully position a rack about 5 inches from the heat source. Uncover the baking dish and broil until the cheese browns, about 3 minutes. Let the gratin rest for 10 minute before serving.

MEDITERRANEAN MIXED VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.
• Wash all of the vegetables, drain and dry.
• Slice the tomatoes into rounds 1/4-inch thick. Cut the potatoes, leaving the skin on, into equally sized rounds. Peel the onion, leaving whole, cut into thin round slices.
• Cut the pepper in half, remove and discard the seeds and ribs, and cut into a thin julienne.
• Leave the skin on the eggplant and cut into thin round slices.
• Trim the top of the fennel bulb and slice the fennel on a vegetable slicer into thin slices beginning at the base and continuing up to the top.
• Using a large ceramic vegetable gratin dish, brush the bottom of the dish with some of the olive oil. Lay the sliced tomatoes on the bottom of the dish in single layer overlapping where necessary. Season this and each succeeding layer of vegetables with salt and pepper as you go to ensure balanced flavors.
• Lay the potatoes on top of the tomatoes, season and continue with a layer of onion.
• Combine the peppers and lay the peppers over the onion layer. Next add a layer of eggplant and finally a layer of thinly sliced fennel remembering to carefully season each vegetable layer.
• Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top layer of vegetables and place the dish into the oven. Bake for 45 minutes.
• While the gratin is baking, combine the remaining olive oil with the garlic, mint, bread crumbs, cheese and season with a fresh grind of black pepper. After the vegetables have cooked for 45 minutes, remove from the oven, sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the top browns to a golden color.

VEGETABLE GRATIN

Steps:

• In a large saute pan set over medium heat, add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute until translucent, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to give off their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add the sugar and cook until there is almost no liquid left, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Lay the eggplant and zucchini out on a flat surface and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
• In another large saute pan set over medium high heat, add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the eggplant in 1 layer and cook just until golden brown on both sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. You might need to do this in batches. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Blot the top with additional paper towels.
• In the same pan, add more olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the zucchini in 1 layer and saute until just browned on each side, about 1 minute per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate.
• In a shallow roasting pan or baking dish, spread half of the tomato sauce evenly over the bottom. Begin layering the eggplant and zucchini along the outside of the baking dish so they are overlapping slightly. Continue until the pan is full and the eggplant and zucchini is used. Cover the top with the remaining tomato sauce, spreading evenly. Sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the top, covering completely.
• Place the baking dish inside a large baking dish. Pour hot water into the larger baking dish about half way up the sides to make a water bath. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.