THE MONTHLY RECIPE - (August 2009)

Courgette, Tomato & Gruyere Gratin

An ideal veggie dish to use when courgettes are in season. Serves 2.
 
Serves Two
 
Ingredients
3 tomatoes sliced
3 courgettes, sliced
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
 
Tomato Sauce
1 clove of garlic sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
400g tin tomatoes
A handful of basil leaves or I teaspoon of dried basil
 
Method
 
1. Heat the oven to 180c / 200c fan/ gas 6.
 
2. Make the tomato sauce by frying the garlic in olive oil, and then add the tinned tomatoes and basil. Simmer until thickened.
 
3. Divide into sauce between 2 small gratin dishes or 1 mediun shallow dish.
 
4. Arrange overlapping rows of tomato and courgette sprinkling some Gruyere in between them. Drizzle with oil, season and bake covered with foil for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes.
 
5. Serve with crusty bread.
 
This dish is nice served in the summer with a green herby salad or as an accompaniment to pork or lamb chops and cous cous. Add sliced mushrooms to the courgettes and tomatoes for a change and experiment using different cheeses such as cheddar mixed with Parmesan.