This Baked Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Goat Cheese Gratin is so elegant, it’s perfect for potlucks and entertaining. I love farm fresh summer vegetables. The most bountiful seem to be zucchini and tomatoes. Although I don’t have a garden, I do plant tomatoes and herbs in containers on my patio. In addition, I visit our local farmer’s market weekly to pickup whatever is in season to meet my produce needs.
I’ve always wanted to travel to Paris, but haven’t made it there yet. It’s definitely on my bucket list, but in the meanwhile, I will resort to cooking French inspired food in my kitchen. This beautiful Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Goat Cheese Gratin has been on my list to make for a while, so I’m glad I finally got around to it. It’s a lot easier to make than it looks.
This gratin is basically a layers of sliced zucchini, summer squash and tomatoes, with goat cheese sprinkled on top. First, there’s a layer of sweet sautéed onions and garlic at the base of a casserole dish, which creates an aromatic bed for the other vegetables.
Then, sliced zucchini, tomatoes and summer squash are alternately layered row by row. The trick is to use zucchini, tomatoes and summer squash that about the same diameter so the gratin looks as uniform as possible. Save the other pieces for a saute for another day.
A sprinkling of goat cheese on top, and some oven roasting results in a gorgeous Zucchini Tomato Summer Squash Goat Cheese Gratin that is sure to impress, with sweet caramelized onions on the bottom, and juicy tomatoes that melt into the tender zucchini and summer squash.
Zucchini Summer Squash Tomato Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 onions halved, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 zucchini ~ 1 pound, cut into 1/4" slices
- 2 summer squash ~ 1 pound, cut into 1/4" slices
- 7 small tomatoes ~ 1 pound, cut into 1/4" slices
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence
- 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray bottom of 13x9x2 inch casserole dish with cooking spray or brush lightly with oil.
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet; add onions and saute until translucent; add garlic and saute another minute; transfer to casserole dish and spread to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence.
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Alternately layer zucchini, summer squash and tomato in casserole dish. Drizzle remaining olive oil on top. Season with salt, fresh ground black pepper and remaining Herbes de Provence. Cover dish with foil and bake for 40 minutes; uncover dish, sprinkle goat cheese on top and continue baking, uncovered, for another 30-35 minutes, until browned.
Recipe Notes
Adapted from Barefoot In Paris
If you’re looking for more recipes using zucchini or tomato, check out these:
Heirloom Tomato Salad with Basil Mint Vinaigrette
Summer Tomato Salad with Sherry Vinegar and Shallots
Oh, wow! What a gorgeous dish. I can’t wait to make it with garden tomatoes. Terrific addition to our Progressive Eats menu!!!!
Wow, Jeanette! This dish really showcases spring and summer vegetables perfectly. I want to chop it all up and spread it on crusty bread. Delicious!
What an amazing summer veggie dish!
What a pretty dish and a great way to use some of my leftover zucchini! Hope you make it to Paris one day – it’s amazing!
Exquisite. Nothing says I am French better than a Gratin dish! Hope you make it to Paris soon.
Thanks Ansh – I’m hoping one I’ll have a chance to visit Paris 🙂
Jeanette, I love veggie gratins!! love seeing the veggies arranged on top. . beautiful!
Gratins are a great way to feature fresh veggies – I had fun layering this casserole.
What a beautiful presentation. A perfect side dish for our dinner.
Thanks Barbara – what a wonderful menu we all have this month for our progressive dinner!
Pinning this! It looks amazing and easy to make! Thnx 🙂
Thanks Karli – it is easy to make and very impressive looking 😉
Another healthy stunner from Jeanette! I love layered gratins, but have never thought to put a layer of sauteed onions on the bottom – pure brilliance! This is definitely going to be on our menu soon!
Thanks Jane – the sauteed onions are what make this gratin extra special – they add some really nice sweetness and almost melt in your mouth.
This vegetable gratin is gorgeous, Jeanette! So fresh, healthy and delicious!
Thanks Kelly – I’m so looking forward to all the fresh veggies this summer after such a long winter!
Love all the beautiful colors with the vegetables! Paris is on my bucket list too someday.
Thanks Laura – I hope you get to go soon too!
Could you explain what is in Herbes de Provence? I don’t believe I will find that in Ky.
Herbes de Provence is an herb mix – I buy mine from Penzeys (they sell online also). It is a blend of rosemary, cracked fennel, thyme, savory, basil, tarragon, dill weed, oregano, lavender, chervil and marjoram. If you can’t find it, you can just make your own blend using whatever herbs you have on hand.
A fine gourmet dish can be this simple too. This looks amazing!
Happy Friday! Just letting you know I featured this recipe in my Deliciously Healthy Low-Carb Recipes Round-Up for April 2015. Great recipe; I hope a lot of my readers will click over here and try it!
Thanks so much Kalyn! Have a wonderful weekend!
I love the combination of flavors here.
Love this recipe with my home grown summer squash! I put the leftovers into grilled sandwiches the next day, awesome!
Hi Linda,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe – and I love that you grown your own squash! Sounds delicious in grilled sandwiches.