Courgette, Tomato & Potato Gratin

It hasn’t been a great year for growing really.  A lack of sunshine and warmth meant that my berries and salad vegetables were a little pathetic this year.  Two things that did, as ever, grow well were my potato and courgette plants giving me plenty of opportunity to make this lovely dish.

Beware, the below recipe is rough in quantities.

Courgette, Tomato & Potato Gratin

(serves 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side)

10 tomatoes, sliced thickly 

8 medium potatoes

3/4 courgettes per person, sliced 1 cm thick

Olive oil

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tspn chopped thyme (1/2 if dried)

Salt and pepper

A big handful of grated mozzarella cheese OR breadcrumbs

• Scrub the potatoes and boil in salted water until almost tender.  Drain and cool.  Remove skins (they should come away easily) and slice into 1cm thick rounds.
• Heat 1/2 cm of olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the courgette rounds in batches and fry for a few minutes on each side until golden.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen roll to soak up excess oil.
• Once all of the courgette has been cooked, add the garlic and thyme to the oil and immediately turn off the heat.  Stir until the garlic stops sizzling.
• In a shallow oven dish add a row of sliced potatoes.  Angle them slightly so they aren’t lying flat but aren’t completely upright either.  Add a row of courgettes then a row of tomatoes.  Repeat until all off the veg is in the dish.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the vegetables generously with the garlicky oil  then sprinkle cheese or breadcrumbs over the top.
• Bake in a 180 oC oven for 30 mins until the top is golden.

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