Vegetable "Lasagne" with Roasted Garlic Broth
Vegetable “Lasagna” with Roasted Garlic Broth
For the first time ever, three people made the same thing to bring to the Home Cooking with Charlie Trotter cookbook club. It wasn’t a surprise that each one was different and that none looked like the picture in the book. They were all good in their own way and made for satisfying leftovers the following week.
This was one example of a recipe that required significant prep time – especially if you don’t have a mandoline and advance time if you roast your own red and yellow peppers, make the chicken stock and roast the garlic (both of which have separate recipes in the book). We also found that the baking time was off and the lasagna yielded significant fluid while cooking. One of the three was watery and another took almost twice the amount of baking time before the potatoes were tender. This can be attributed to thick potato slices or an oven temperature that’s off. Whatever the case, this is not a simple, for the everyday home cook recipe.
Lasagna
2 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 roasted red bell peppers, roasted and cut into wide strips
2 yellow squash, cut lengthwise into ¼ inch thick slices
4 roasted yellow bell peppers, roasted and cut into wide strips
4 ounces mozzarella cheese
Broth
1 bulb roasted garlic with the cooking oil (see below)
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely minced chives
To prepare the lasagna: Preheat the oven to 350°. Generously butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Using one-third of the potatoes, form a layer in the pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with some of the Parmesan cheese (how much is some?). Using half of he red bell peppers, form a layer on the potatoes, followed by layers of half the yellow squash, yellow bell pepper, and zucchini, in that order. Top with one-third of the potatoes and layer all of the remaining vegetables in the same order as before. Top with a final layer of potatoes and the mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered for 1 hour, or until the cheese is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Cut 4 3-inch squares from the center of the pan; reserve the edges for another use. (Who knows what this means… for leftovers? to feed to the dog?)
To prepare the broth: Squeeze the garlic from the garlic bulb and purée with the reserved garlic oil until smooth. Slowly add the stock and purée until smooth. Pour he broth into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Place a piece of lasagna in the center of each bowl and ladle in the broth. Top with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle extra virgin olive oil around the dish. Finish with a spray of minced chives.
Serves 4 as an entrée.
Roasted Garlic
4 bulbs garlic, tops cut off
3 cups milk
1/2 olive oil
Preheat oven to 350°. Place the garlic in a small saucepan, cover with milk, and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Drain the milk and discard, place the garlic bulbs bottom side down in an ovenproof pan, add the olive oil, and cover. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the bulbs are soft. Cool the garlic in the oil and then squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of the skins. Use immediately, or refrigerate in the oil for up to 3 days.
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