SWEET ONION & SUMMER SQUASH GRATIN

This is a very quick, fragrant and delicious side dish.  You could dress it up with buttered bread crumbs, change the herbs, add thin slices of eggplant or adapt it in other ways to suit your taste/what you have on hand.

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchini or other summer squash, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds on the bias

1 medium/large sweet onion (Walla Walla, etc.), cut into quarters and then thinly sliced

2-3 thyme sprigs, leaves stripped (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

3 tablespoons basil, thinly sliced
 

Directions:

Set the oven to broil.

Put a layer of onion slices on the bottom of an oven proof dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, half the thyme and a good drizzle of olive oil. Repeat with the squash slices.

Set on a rach about 8 inches under the broiler. Broil until the squash just begins to color and then mix the onions and squash gently. Continue broiling, checking every few minutes to ensure the vegetables aren’t burning and toss to keep the browning even. Cook this way for about 6-7 minutes until you have some nice browning and the vegetables are just tender.

Remove dish from oven and evenly sprinkle with the cheese and basil. Return to the broiler for about 15 seconds. Remove and serve hot or at room temperature.