Summer’s End Veggie-Bake
September is a funny month. The energy is starting to shift from sunnier, lazier, summer days to the more frantic pace of fall. Kids are headed back to school, and most of us have taken our last vacation for a while.
And yet, when I received an issue of one of my favorite cooking magazines with a pumpkin pie on the cover, it just felt WRONG! In many parts of the country, it still feels like summer, with warm days and gardens bursting with end of summer bounty. I’m not ready to hear Holiday music playing at Starbucks yet!
The energy of fall, a "hinge" season between summer and winter, is quick and mutable. This can be a time of intense transformation both in nature and within ourselves. Energetically, we cling with one hand to the last vestiges of summertime relaxation, while reaching with the other into the busy and productive winter season ahead. It's an exciting time, and can also be a stressful one.
In the 5 Element Theory in Chinese Medicine, seasonal transitions are called "doyo". They are associated with the element of Earth and with the direction Center. I love these distinctions, because they speak to the importance (and challenge!) of staying centered and grounded, particularly when things are in flux around us & there seems to be "no solid ground" on which to stand.
Unsurprisingly, food is one of my favorite ways to stay grounded. Slower cooking methods, such as roasting and simmering, are easy ways to bring some relaxed, centered energy into your kitchen. The best part about preparing foods in this manner is that they can often be made in batches in a few hours on a relaxed weekend afternoon and reheated during the busy week ahead.
This Summer’s End Veggie Bake is similar to ratatouille and is absolutely perfect for this time of year! I modified this recipe from one in my family cookbook. My grandmother's and mother's gardens always produced more zucchini, squash and eggplant than any family could eat, so I remember eating some version of this frequently as a child. It takes advantage of the last of the sweet, ripe, summer vegetables, but is hearty and warm, qualities we start to crave as we move into fall. The women in my family still make large batches of this in summer to freeze so that their families can enjoy the bounty and flavors of summer during the fall and winter months ahead.
RECIPE - Summer’s End Veggie Bake
Ingredients
2 medium onions, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
3 T extra virgin olive oil
1 eggplant, cubed
2 zucchini, halved vertically and sliced
2 yellow summer squash, halved vertically and sliced
2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1 can of organic garbanzo beans or white beans, rinsed well and drained (optional)
1 T. water
10 oz of organic tomato paste
Sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Cut all vegetables into similar size pieces ss indicated in ingredient list.
Sauté the onions and pepper in oil until slightly brown.
Add the remaining vegetables and 1 T. water and cook until veggies are soft.
Turn into Pyrex container or casserole dish. If very runny, drain off some of the liquid.
Mix in tomato paste, olives and beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Bake in 325° oven for 1 to 1.5 hours.
Nutrition Notes
This dish is packed to the gills with powerful phytonutrients, good fats, fiber, and plant-based protein. The antioxidant power of this dish is easy to see in the rainbow of colors it contains. Each color represents a different protective phytochemical, working in synergy with the others to protect us against everything from heart disease to cancer and premature aging. Better yet: it tastes delicious!
Entertaining Tip
This is the perfect dish for picky party guests. It’s a crowd pleaser, and fits almost every “special diet” imaginable. It’s gluten-free, vegan, low-carb, Mediterranean, slow-carb, paleo (without the beans) – you name it, this dish pretty much fits the bill. The only special diets this dish wouldn't be great for are the low-FODMAP and nightshade vegetable avoidance. Are you the picky one? (I am!) This is a wonderful thing to bring along so that your host won’t have to worry about you feeling safe in your food space.
Here are my 5 favorite ways to enjoy this dish:
As a power breakfast, warmed and topped with a handful of baby spinach and a poached or fried egg
As hearty lunch over quinoa or black rice
As a flavor-packed vegetable side with broiled white fish and a simple arugula salad
As a topper for a grilled chicken breast, served with sautéed garlicky greens with pine nuts and a splash of balsamic
As a chunky sauce for whole grain pasta or spaghetti squash. (Craving animal protein? Why not add some turkey meatballs or top with a few slivers of Parmesan cheese?)
Have you tried this? What is your favorite way to enjoy it? Do you have a "go-to” late summer dish in your repertoire? I would love to hear from you.