Simply delicious: Mama Steph’s Parmesan vegetable skillet bake

Vegetables that are abundant and delicious in season are culinary treasures, provided by the sweat and care of farmers, whether large scale farmers or backyard farmers. The issue sometimes becomes finding enough ways to eat the bounty without letting any of it go to waste! Not wanting to be wasteful is a good thing; share what you have excess of, and learn to cook what you keep!

I often create recipes based on what I have an overabundance of. This is one of those recipes! There is no need to add heavy creams or melt-y cheeses or bottled spices to produce that is in season. Vegetables have so much flavor when they’re plucked from the vine at perfect ripeness during their growing season, they don’t require the boost of all those other ingredients. Here’s my idea for today; a simple skillet bake that allows the heavenly flavors of the produce to shine through.

In this recipe, you can use any produce that you have on hand; this is a simple guideline that you can really play with!

Mama Steph’s Parmesan vegetable skillet bake

3 small or two large zucchini squashes

1 large sweet onion (Like Noonday or Vidalia, if possible)

2 large or three medium tomatoes

1 or 2 cups of sliced white or baby Bella mushrooms (optional)

2 TBS olive oil

1 1/2 cups of grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. Slice zucchini, onion, and tomatoes into uniform, thin slices.

2. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. (substitute your favorite fat, if preferred: butter, coconut oil, etc.) Add onions, and saute in the oil until they become translucent, then remove to a bowl and set aside.

3. In the same skillet, make a single layer of zucchini slices across the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. 4. Use half the onions, spreading them across the zucchini layer.

5. Top onions with a single layer of tomatoes.

6. Sprinkle half of Parmesan cheese over the tomatoes.

7. If using mushrooms, (which you’d need to saute in oil or butter ahead of time), add them now, spreading across the Parmesan layer.

8. Repeat layers: zucchini, onion, tomatoes, Parmesan.

9. Bake in 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until cheese on top is nicely golden brown.

Serve with a nice crusty baguette if you’d like, which makes the perfect tool for sopping up the delicious juices in the pan. Grilled chicken or fish or a nice pork tenderloin would be the perfect protein to serve this delicious side alongside.

I hope you enjoy this summer-y recipe; adjust it to feature your own favorite vegetables; using thinly-sliced yellow squash would work wonderfully well Or add fresh basil and some garlic to give it an Italian flair.

You might also like my Pasta alla checca

Enjoy!