Gastronomical Sovereignty: Use-What-Ya-Got Vegetable Bake

Sometimes you just gotta use what your momma gave ya! Or, in this case, what the CSA gave ya. Especially as we get into the colder months and the vegetables start resembling a foreign species of alien more than the bright, friendly fruits of Summer.

Speaking of foreign species of alien - which is kind of related but not really at all: Did anyone else watch The Walking Dead Premiere on Sunday?? SO good! Man! That show stresses. me. out.

Okay, back to food. Yes, the aliens of Winter. All of a sudden we start getting multiple variations of green leafy things, veggies with strange off shoots in every direction, and heavy lumps of unidentifiable root veg. What to do with them? If you aren't sure, tossing them all in a solid baking dish topped with delicious herbs and canned tomatoes works well.

Trying to use up the last of the veg in the house (CSA delivery day is tomorrow!), I threw together this gorgeous veggie bake. It's Spanish in it's inspiration and local in it's veggie application. Use whatever you have in the house - though I'd highly recommend the potato base to up the texture and heartiness quotient. If you're using a vegetable with a high water ratio (i.e. zucchini, spinach, etc...), pan fry/steam them off before adding to the dish like I did with the chard and eggplant so as to ensure you don't end up with a dish full of more liquid than veg.

Use-What-Ya-Got Vegetable Bake

(printable recipe)

Ingredients for Veggie Bake:

1 Lb New Potatoes, washed & well dried, cut into 1/4" rounds (a mandolin is useful).

1 Lb New Eggplant, cut into 1/4" rounds (same here).

1/2 Large Spanish Onion, finely diced.

Big Handful of Fresh Swiss Chard, roughly chopped into 1" strips.

3 Cloves of Garlic, minced.

Small Handful Fresh Italian Flat-Leaf Parsley, roughly chopped.

1 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

Ingredients for Sauce:

2 Lb Ripe Tomatoes (or same weight in diced canned tomatoes, most of the juice strained away).

1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme, stemmed & chopped.

1/2 Spanish Onion, finely diced.

2 Garlic Cloves, minced.

Splash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Kosher Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper.

What to Do:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the sauce, heat the oil in a heavy-based sauce pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion for about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, stir, and continue cooking another 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant and softened.

Increase the heat to medium and add the tomatoes and thyme, stir well to combine, and cook about 20 to 30 minutes, or until thickened. Season well to taste.

Meanwhile, as your sauce cooks, heat half the bake oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Once hot, gently drop the potatoes in batches and cook until tender but not brown, turning half way through if necessary.

Remove with a slotted spoon or tongs and transfer to a medium to large sized casserole dish. Don't worry about a bit of oiliness in the dish, olive oil is a healthy fat and all the veg in here is just gonna sop it right up! Season lightly.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the eggplant. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden, adding a little more oil as necessary. Drain the slices on paper towel and then arrange on top of the potatoes. Season lightly.

Lastly, remove the pan from the heat and toss in the chard. Add a little water to the pan, cover with a lid, and return to the heat. Steam for about 5 minutes, remove the lid, and allow excess moisture to cook away. Throw the chard on a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Chop roughly and spread over top of the eggplant in the baking dish. Season lightly.

Now, spread your tomato sauce over the top and bake for 30 minutes uncovered, or until hot and bubbling.