Summer Vegetable Gratin

I was food allergy tested a few years ago and found out I have a gluten sensitivity. Which is really such a shame since I love making fresh pasta and pizzas, but I've decided to go GF again for 12 weeks to detox and am thinking of fun ways to cook without gluten. While sitting out by the pool the other day I was reading my Ad Hoc cookbook by Thomas Keller (my hero) and came across a lovely recipe for summer vegetable gratin. His recipe calls for incorporating breadcrumbs with the cheese, and thyme, so I omitted the breadcrumbs, had no thyme, so used Italian parsley and rosemary and chopped prosciutto I had in the fridge. All I can say is WOW!!! That was fabulous and tasted rich and juicy and was even better the next day. Let me also note that I have NEVER been a fan of squash or zucchini, so this was an eye opener for me. The recipe in the book also calls for slender Asian eggplant, but they had none at the store, so I just used more zucchini.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 Roma Tomatoes

- 1 medium squash

-1 medium zucchini

- 1 large diced onion

- 2 cloves minced garlic

1 cup grated parmesan, fontina and asiago blend

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella for topping

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

chop 1 tbs each of rosemary, Italian parsley and/or thyme

2 tbs chopped prosciutto (optional, pancetta cooked with the onions would also be nice)

In a non stick pan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil and balsamic vinegar on medium heat until soft, but not browned- about 20 minutes. Season lightly with a dash of salt and fresh pepper.  Meanwhile, uniformly slice your veggies about 1/4 thick with either a knife or Mandoline (I used a mandoline- one of the best gifts from our wedding registry- I suggest everyone have one).

Mise en Place "everything in its place"

Once onions are soft, lightly coat a baking dish with olive oil. I use the 9x6 oval Le Creuset dish and it is the perfect size.

Layer the onion mixture on the bottom of the pan, then slightly overlap a row of each veggie, sprinkle with half the herb cheese blend, cover with another layer of veggies and the rest of the cheese and place in the middle rack of an oven at 350 degrees for about an hour until veggies have softened and the cheese is brown and bubbling. Let cool about 10 minutes and serve. Reheats great the next day!

We served it with grilled Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage we picked up at, you guessed it... our new Whole Foods!! So delish!!