vegetable gratin

Grilling truly brings out the best in vegetables and we have always enjoyed the flavor of grilled zucchini. My husband even said that he didn't care much for zucchini until he tasted it grilled. It's a given, everytime I buy zucchini and squash, I end up grilling them. In my quest to try some other ways to cook them, I decided to try one of the recipes provided by our organic produce supplier. The gratin, made with zucchini, squash and potato, didn't only look beautiful with the bright colors of the vegetable layers, it was flavorful too.

The potatoes were sliced thinner (about 1/8") than the squash and zucchini (about 1/4") so they will cook at the same time. A mandoline slicer makes uniform and perfect slices but since I don't have this gadget, I thought about using our electric meat slicer instead. It did a great job with the potatoes. I was also happy to find another way to make use of it. However, it didn't work for the squash and zucchini but it was easy to slice them with a knife anyway.

Toss the sliced vegetables in olive oil, salt, pepper, minced garlic and chopped parsley until evenly coated. Start layering with the potato slices followed by the zucchini and squash. Repeat the process ending with the potatoes on top. Toast 2-3 whole wheat bread slices and tear them into smaller pieces. Turn them into breadcrumbs using a food processor. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to the breadcrumbs then season with salt and pepper. Mix well and add crumbled feta cheese if desired. Sprinkle evenly on top of the potatoes and press it well.
Bake at 250F for 1 1/2 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.