Here's a good way to use up vegetables from your garden.

Vegetable Gratin

1 pound zucchini
1 pound yellow summer squash
(can use all of one kind)
3 to 5 pound ripe tomatoes
Salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, sliced pole-to-pole
Salt and pepper
Seasoning:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves garlic, pressed
Gratin topping:
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallot

Fresh basil, coarsely chopped


Slice the zucchini and squash 1/4 inch thick. Place in a colander over a bowl and sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt. Toss well to evenly coat with salt and let stand 45 minutes to draw out the water. Cut out the stem end of the tomatoes and slice 1/4 inch thick. Place them in a single on a baking sheet lined with paper toweling. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and set aside for 30 minutes. Saute the sliced onions in the olive oil over medium heat and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper, cooking until caramelized and browned.

After the squash has stood for 45 minutes, arrange it in a single layer on a couple layers of paper towels and put more towels on top to blot up any excess water. Place in a dry bowl. Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Stir half of it into the squash. Place 1 tablespoon oil in the bottom of a shallow baking dish and distribute the squash over the pan, cover with the caramelized onions. Use a pieces of paper towel to blot any excess moisture from the top of the tomato slices. Lay them on the top of the casserole in neat rows. Spread the last of the seasoning mixture, getting some on each tomato. Place uncovered in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

Make the gratin topping: Tear the slice of bread into four pieces and pulse in the food processor to make coarse crumbs. Combine with the olive oil, cheese, and shallot. Strew over the top of the vegetables. Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and bake the gratin for 5 to 10 minutes until the topping is browned. Sprinkle fresh basil over the top and serve.

About gratin dishes: you want something that can bake in the oven and be put under the broiler. A pyrex baking dish isn't good for this because they shouldn't be put under the broiler. (Can explode.)

This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen. It seems like a lot of work, but is probably worth the effort.