The triumph of the easy, the vegetarian, the seasonal: mixed vegetable bake (get it while you can)

Ragazzi, it is the time of year when, more than even in midsummer, the seasonal cook and shopper is overwhelmed with choices.  This is the only time of year, ragazzi, when you can shop locally, and fill a bowl with peaches, raspberries, grapes, Italian plums , apples, nectarines and pears. Annalena knows.  She's done it.  So, too,  your vegetable basket can contain cabbage, eggplant, green beans, celery root, ripe tomatoes, corn , and parsnips.  This will only be the case for a little while, ragazzi.  Savor it while you can.  Pull out those recipes, and since the weather is cooling down, turn up your ovens.

This recipe came out of Annalena's favorite spice company's catalog, (Penzey's), and it sang to her.  It really did.   She and the  Guyman do like to eat vegetarian meals from time to time, they have vegetarian friends, and as you will see from above, it is the time to do things like this.

Annalena modified the recipe in one, significant way:  most of the vegetables in this recipe are a bit on the bland side.   They need a kick.  Hot pepper did not seem right, but here's a hint y'all:  when you want to boost the flavor of a dish, don't forget the common onion.  Cook it slowly, until it's brown, or golden, and you've got instant POWER in your kitchen.  And the aroma will ALWAYS make people hungrier.  It will.  Annalena promises.

Here we go, and there are a few places where Annalena wants you to know about some changes you have permission to make.  First, turn your oven to 350, and then get out a non-metallic, 9x13 inch  baking pan.  Put that aside, and take a hunk of mozzarella (at least half a pound), and put it in the freezer.

Yes, Annalena just told you to put mozzarella into the freezer.  We will come back to why she did that.

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil into a big pan, and while it's getting hot, slice up one, or even two, onions.  Break them into rings, and put them into the hot oil, with a bit of salt.  Lower the heat and cook them slowly, while you chop up the other veggies.

You need one medium, or two small eggplants:  enough so that, when you cube them, you have about six cups.  Peel them or not.   Annalena thinks this is better with them peeled, but you be the judge.  Also, slice up 3-4, or more, small zucchini.  Zucchini ARE small (hence, the 'ini'), but go for the smallest ones you can get.  If you can't find small ones, you can use the bigger ones, but cube them.  The big slices are too difficult to eat here.  

IF you are a mushroom lover, slice up about 2 cups of mushrooms of whatever type you have or can afford.  Then, get some tomatoes: plum tomatoes are best for this.  Don't bother peeling them, but cut them up into rough pieces.  You will want about as much as you have of zucchini.

By now, your onions will probably be cooked, so take them out of the pan, and spread them over the bottom of your baking dish.   Add a few more tablespoons of oil, and add the eggplant.   The eggplant is going to soak up any oil it encounters, so salt it, and keep it moving, because without the oil there, it will stick.  You won't be able to prevent the sticking, which is not a bad thing (you get some browning here), but you do want to be able to get it out of the pan when it's soft, and then pour it over the onions.

You're done cooking now.  But now, you chop up a clove of garlic, sprinkle it over the eggplant, and add about a half cup of grated parmesan.  If you are so moved, put in some fresh herbs.  Now add the zucchini and the mushrooms, and do the same thing with another clove of garlic, and more cheese.  Again, herbs if you like.  Finally, the tomatoes.  And more parmesan and herbs.

Now, remember that mozzarella?  Take it out of the freezer, and shred about 2-3 cups of it on the big tear shaped holes of your three sided grater.

Much easier to shred when it's firmed up from the ice box, ain't it ragazzi?  Sprinkle this all over the tomatoes, and then slide the thing into the oven, for about 30 minutes, maybe 40.  It'll bubble, it'll brown a bit, and you may very well find yourself wanting to sing any of the songs we have associated with the harvest.  Annalena was moved to sing "Simple Gifts," but as there were people about, she refrained.

She did not refrain from enjoying this recipe; however.  Now, according to Annalena's nutritional breakdown, there are 100 calories in a serving.  This, however, is clearly not correct.  The recipe is said to serve 9, and have 63 grams of fat, 36 grams of carbohydrates, and 72 grams of protein.  The numbers simply do not work, as that is 63 calories for the fat alone.  Still, it ain't all that bad, ragazzi.  Make it, maybe put leftovers over pasta, but do make this.  You won't work too hard, you'll feel noble, and your meal will be really, REALLY good.

Next time around:  ever think of combining chocolate and bacon?  Sue, you listening?  We're going to do that.