Layered Veg Bake

This simple yet delicious veg bake has a nice contrast between the crisp potatoes on the top and the soft vegetables below that absorb all the flavours of the layers above and below. Simply slice and layer the veg then bang in an oven, and cook for 30-40 mins at 180° C or do it low and slow for a few hours, both ways produce a tasty meal.

Recipe

Serves 2-4. Active time: 10 mins. Cooking time: 30-40 mins, or optionally a few hours in a low oven.

Ingredients

1 aubergine, sliced into rounds

1 courgette, sliced into rounds

1 beef tomato or a few vine tomatoes, sliced into rounds

4-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved

1 large or 2 medium potatoes, sliced into rounds

Herbs, dried and/or fresh roughly chopped or torn

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Optional Step: If you find courgette and aubergine can be a little on the bitter side you can place the slices in a colander and sprinkle them with salt. Leave them over a sink or bowl for 20 mins then rinse and pat dry. This will draw out a little of the water and with it some of the bitterness. You may find this is unnecessary though if the slight bitterness doesn’t bother you.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Drizzle a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the bottom of a deep baking dish and lay down the aubergine slices to cover the bottom. Add a small splash of water. Add a layer of herbs (I used dried oregano) and a drizzle of oil, followed by the courgettes, more herbs (I used fresh basil) and oil, followed by the tomato slices. Nestle the garlic in around all the gaps. Add another layer of herbs (I used fresh parsley) and oil. Top with the sliced potato, a sprinkle of salt and few cracks of black pepper and a final drizzle of oil.

Bake for 25 mins and check on it. The veg underneath should be soft and tender while the potatoes on top crisp and golden brown. If it needs longer stick it back in and check on it every 5-10 mins. If the potatoes are looking like they may end up overdone put a bit of tinfoil over it while the rest bakes on.

When ready, lift out of the oven and allow to rest for 10 mins for the flavours to mingle and settle then serve up the veg and a few spoonfuls of the juices at the bottom and enjoy! While a satisfying meal on its own, this also makes a fantastic side dish to meat or fish.

Alternative Method: This dish also lends itself to lower and slower cooking. This is handy if you want to leave it for a few hours to do it’s thing while you’re busy with something else. Preheat your oven to 150° C and cover the baking dish with foil. Allow to bake for 2-3 hours, uncovering and turning the temperature up to 180° C

A bit of a blether

Don’t feel limited to these particular vegetables. There are many other good options you could use here, for instance butternut squash, sweet potato, celeriac, bell peppers, sliced onions or fennel would all make delicious additions. Just aim to cut the veg to similar levels of thickness and lay them so those that absorb the most moisture and that you want to be soft and tender are near the bottom, while those you want to gain a little caramelisation or crisp on are nearer the top.

This dish can easily be scaled up as well, if you have larger or multiple vegetables to use, then just use a bigger (or multiple) baking dishes to layer them in and bake. Just use your eyes and a bit of prodding and tasting to know when it’s cooked to the right doneness and stick some foil over it and turn the temperature down a bit of it’s cooking unevenly.

You could also use whole sprigs of herbs rather than the chopped leaves. I’ll often use thyme or rosemary stalks in one of the upper layers and just lift the woody bits out when serving. Use what you like and don’t be afraid to try out new flavours. Herbs like tarragon bring a sweet anise flavour to the dish while those like oregano and sage provide a more rounded flavour.

You could easily adapt this to have a slightly more spiced feel to it. Adding the likes of paprika, cumin, turmeric, all spice or ground coriander to the layers would produce a more warming dish, and could use the likes of res el hanout (a Moroccan spice blend) for a North African spin, or zaatar (a Levantine blend of herbs and spices) for a middle eastern twist.

Give it a try, especially if you have a few of those heartier vegetables taking up space in your fridge!

Thanks for reading,

Matthew