Forgive me for reposting a recipe I’ve shared before … but we made this again this week and it was just so delicious that I just had to remind you of it.
This vegetable gratin is pretty much the perfect dish for early fall: It takes glorious advantage of all kinds of produce that’s available now in farmers’ markets, and dresses them up under a crust of breadcrumbs and cheese. This is a vegetable dish for non-vegetable lovers.
I made it as a side dish to grilled chicken-tomato sausages that we picked up at Findlay Market—and in fact, it’s a terrific side dish to any grilled chicken, pork or steak. It’s also hearty enough to star in a meatless meal, with a hunk of crusty bread and a full-bodied white wine.
This recipe is a take on traditional succotash—the combination of beans and corn—and it calls for both green beans and shelled beans like limas or favas. I found a quart of beautiful cranberry beans at the market, so I shelled them and cooked them off.
To cook fresh shelling beans, place them in a pot of water to cover with a couple of fresh thyme sprigs and a bay leaf or two; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20–25 minutes until the beans are tender but not falling apart. (You could also substitute canned white beans or frozen lima beans, cooked according to package directions.)
While you can still get sweet corn and green beans this early fall, give this recipe a try!
summer vegetable casserole recipe
serves 8
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1/2 pound slender green beans, trimmed, cut in 1-inch pieces
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 cups cooked lima beans (or other shelling beans; thawed if frozen)
4 ears corn, kernels removed
1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or a dash of cayenne)
Coarse salt
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 cup heavy cream
2 large eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 cup shredded white cheese (gruyere, Swiss, mozzarella)
Preheat oven to 425°; grease a large baking dish. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat; add onion, bell pepper and zucchini. Cook, stirring, until vegetables begin to soften, 5–7 minutes. Add green and shelling beans; cook another 5 minutes. Add garlic and corn; cook until all vegetables are tender but not mushy, about 5 minutes more. Add stock or water and simmer until liquid evaporates. Season vegetables with salt, Aleppo pepper; add basil and chives. Let cool slightly. Transfer vegetables to baking dish. In a glass measuring cup, whisk together cream and eggs. Pour over vegetables and stir to combine. On a piece of waxed paper, toss together breadcrumbs and shredded cheese. Sprinkle evenly over casserole. Bake 25–30 minutes, until topping is golden and mixture is bubbly. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
