All layered up and ready to go in the oven.

August is my favorite month for fresh, local veggies. It’s the time when all the fruit (as in seed-bearing) vegetables like tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and chili peppers hit the table.  But with everything ripening at once, this time of year can leave both gardeners and cooks feeling like they’re drowning in vegetables. Farmer Dwight (of cabbage fame) has been sending me frequent updates about the massive tomato yields that are currently covering every flat surface in his kitchen. Garrison Keillor used to joke that it’s unwise to leave your car windows down at the end of summer lest you discover a squash in the driver’s seat when you come back, deposited by some overwhelmed gardener.

And this week I found myself trying to exhaust our ample CSA shipment before an impending trip out of town. How many vegetables can you fit in a single dish? To find out, I devised this casserole. It’s true that I had to break my own rule about turning on the oven in hot weather, but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do.

It’s Raining Vegetables Casserole

• 2 eggplants, sliced
• 6 plum (or other smallish variety) tomatoes, diced
• Handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 to 8 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 chili pepper, diced
• 2 zucchini, cut into half moons
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 6 oz. muenster or mozzarella cheese, sliced
• Parmesan cheese to taste

Place the sliced eggplant in a greased casserole dish and sprinkle with a little salt. Roast in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until brown and tender.

Meanwhile, combine tomato and basil in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir and set aside.

Sautee the onion, garlic and pepper in a little olive oil. Add the zucchini and season with salt, pepper and oregano. Cook until the zucchini is just tender.

Take half the eggplant out of the baking dish, and add half the zucchini mixture. Spread half the cheese on top, then half the tomato mixture. Repeat the layers once more: eggplant and zucchini, cheese, tomatoes. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bake in the 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until it’s hot and bubbly.

Resulting veggies will be very juicy, so serve them on top of pasta or in a bowl with a slab of crusty bread.