Michelle's Baked Ratatouille

For me, this dish is a perfect celebration of summer - you can practically taste all the sunshine in it! And it’s easy to adapt the leftovers into fun and innovative meals so that even if you eat these several nights in a row, it still seems completely different (but totally delicious).

Slice 1 large summer squash, 1 medium eggplant, and 2 peppers into 1/4 inch lengthwise strips. Substitute these veg for each other in whatever quantities you have! This would be equally good focusing on one or two of them. Char veg quickly over medium-high heat in a dry (no oil) cast iron. Flip when each side starts to blacken. Set aside cooked veggies and preheat oven to 350. Slice one or two tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Mince three garlic cloves. Put a splash of tomato sauce (I had one jar of Bellair Sauce left!) in the bottom of a baking dish. Begin layering the charred vegetables, sprinkling garlic and a splash of the sauce in each layer. You can omit the tomato sauce if you have lots of tomatoes to layer! I like to end with a layer of tomatoes because the juice drips down. Bake in the oven about 30 minutes, taking it out and pressing it down to meld the layers half way through. If you like, you can add cheese!

I made mine to keep in the fridge for weekday lunches. One day, I cut a slice, topped with cheese, heated it in the oven, and then slid it onto a toasted ciabatta bun for a yummy veggie melt type sandwich. Another day, I cut a slice and chopped it up in a skillet with some olive oil. I added cooked pasta and cheese for another complete meal!