No. 260: Summer Veggie Gratins Are Back; Lobster Rolls and Berry Pops for Fourth of July
Plus: Tickets going fast for Cook the Vineyard's August Event with Dan Pashman
🍅 Call it a Gratin or Call it a Tian, But Call it Delicious
I know it’s truly summer when: a) the zinnias are blooming, and b) I cook my first summer veggie gratin. I’ve been making these “tians” (a Provençal casserole of overlapping summer vegetables) since at least 1999 – the year I first wrote about them for Fine Cooking magazine. I can say that in the last 25 years, no dish or recipe of mine has been as universally loved as the Layered Zucchini, Tomato, and Parmesan Tian. It’s fun for the cook to make and lovely that everyone seems to enjoy eating it. And it’s a perfect destination for the first summer vegetables.
In the version I made yesterday in a round quiche pan, my husband ate literally three-quarters of it himself, and that was along with oven-fried chicken. Yes, he does have a big appetite, but he particularly enjoyed this rendition, with a generous amount of sautéed spring onions on the bottom.
![Layered Zucchini, Tomato, and Parmesan Gratin; Cook the Vineyard Layered Zucchini, Tomato, and Parmesan Gratin; Cook the Vineyard](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff750f95b-d0e4-43c1-9330-02338472d9b6_2880x2880.jpeg)
I didn’t expect to be making a tian before the Fourth of July, but when I saw the striped zucchini and the little heirloom hoop house tomatoes at Morning Glory, I knew what I had to do. I found my favorite butterstick yellow squash, too, and picked thyme from the backyard.
I hope you’ll get a chance to make one of these over the holiday weekend. To get the best flavor, cook the gratin long enough for all the juices (which the vegetables give off at the start of cooking) to reduce down and mingle with the onions. The gratin will shrink a bit and you’ll see browning around the edges.
It tickles me, really, that zucchini have already arrived. We wait so long for summer vegetables and then boom!, they seem to appear overnight. Farm stands have locally grown cucumbers now, too. And baby beets! What to make next? It’s almost too much for me.
I think I’ll start with this Baby Squash Stir-Fry With Ginger, Garlic and Lime since my Thai basil in the garden is big enough to harvest. (You can use any basil, mint, cilantro, or a combo.)
And then, since I still have some whipped feta, I think I’ll make these Grilled Toasts with Whipped Lemon-Thyme Feta and Summer Squash.
Speaking of toasts, our yummy Quick-Roasted Beet Slices would be good on crostini with a little goat cheese, blue cheese, or that whipped feta. Bonus: sauté a few of the beet greens in garlic and add a small amount to each toast.
![Quick-Roasted Beet Slices, Cook the Vineyard Quick-Roasted Beet Slices, Cook the Vineyard](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdfabe109-c0fb-496a-9e9f-2dc310097850_1776x1420.jpeg)
Those cucumbers? I think they’d find a nice home in Brook Kushwaha’s Cucumber, Goat Cheese, and Smoked Salmon Sandwich.
🦞 Lobster Rolls or Grilled Swordfish? Popsicles or Ice Cream Sandwiches?
There’s a great story in the Vineyard Gazette by Noah Glasgow about four young (really young) lobstermen on the Island. Read that and consider buying local lobster for a special Fourth of July treat — Lobster Salad Rolls with Fresh Peas, Radishes, Lemon, and Chives. Eat those on grilled buttered buns, please.
Or go with grilled swordfish for the main event instead. This recipe for Grilled Swordfish with Roasted Tomato-Ginger Compote and Lemon Basil is great for entertaining and the compote can be made a day ahead.
You might want to have a big hearty summer salad for everyone to help themselves to, as well. How about something like this Summer Grain Salad with Tomatoes, Basil, Corn and Nectarines? Sure we don’t have local corn yet, but Morning Glory has some nice ears coming from Georgia – as well as decent peaches and nectarines, too. But you could leave out the corn and add diced zucchini if you like.
For a fun make-ahead dessert that you can eat standing up, make Frozen Chocolate Coconut Pops or Frozen Berry Pops.
And don’t forget about Abby’s Irresistible Ice Cream Sandwiches.
Hope that will keep you cool this holiday weekend!
Just a quick update: tickets are already selling briskly for our August 21 event with award-winning podcaster, pasta-shape inventor, and honorary Vineyarder Dan Pashman, highlighting his bestselling new book, Anything’s Pastable. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, be sure to do that!
Happy Fourth! And happy FIFTH anniversary to Cook the Vineyard as well! Our first newsletter went out on July 3, 2019, featuring the Gingery Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp.
Free subscribers, if you want to receive the newsletter every week instead of once a month and enjoy other exclusive benefits, be sure to upgrade your subscription. We appreciate your support; it allows us to bring you great seasonally inspired recipes (that work!), ingredient tips, new cooking techniques, farm and restaurant news, and more.
— Susie Middleton
🍽️ What’s Happening Around the Island?
The July edition of The Vine is out with a feature on Five Things to Eat at Nomans. Check it out! Nomans is a great family-friendly option for a group or a spontaneous dinner out.
On Friday, July 5, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the FARM Institute, @theswimmingpigmeats will be smoking a whole pig as well as chickens, and he’ll have all the sauces, classic slaw and cornbread, too.
Beetlebung Farm’s next variety tasting class is Cherry Tomatoes and Spelt on Tuesday, July 9, from 5:30 to 7 p.m.
And big restaurant news: 9 Craft Kitchen will open for business in Vineyard Haven on Monday, July 8 at noon!
Photos: Zucchini Toasts, Randi Baird; Lobster Roll, Alexandra Grablewski; Ice Cream Sandwiches, Abby Dodge; Nomans, Ray Ewing; all others, Susie Middleton
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