Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Roasted Vegetable Torte


Quick! We are having company! I slapped the phone shut and headed to my trusty recipe file.....you know, the sure thing...the ones that never fail and are always a hit with the guests! I decided I needed something very colorful, lifting any drab spirits and thoughts as it was so chilly and wet outside. The Barefoot Contessa's casualness in cooking is very appealing to me, especially with limited time. I love her books!

My torte was not a lovely as hers, but it did make quite a splash.
The Torte ~as adapted from her book.
2 zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices.
1 large red onion, cut lenghthwise and sliced.
1 t. garlic, minced.
1 t.olive oil.
1 t. kosher salt or sea salt.
Black pepper.
2 red and 2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and cut in half.
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
1 /2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Here comes the fun part!
Cook the onions, zucchini, garlic and 2 T. of olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. Brush the peppers and eggplant with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 30 minutes until soft but not browned.
Using a 6 inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling the cheese, salt and pepper to taste between each of the layers of vegetables. Begin with half of the eggplant, then layer half of the zucchini and onions, then all the red peppers, then all the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions and finally the rest of the eggplant.
Cover the top of the vegetable torte with a 6 inch round piece of waxed paper. Place a 6 inch round flat disk on the top of the torte and weight it down with a heavy jar or something with weight on it. Place torte on a plate and chill. Drain any liqiuds, place torte on platter and serve at room temperature.

16 comments:

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

The first time a friend made this for me, I went right out and bought the Barefoot Contessa cookbook -- and I've bought every one of her books since then. I agree -- a wonderful, casual style, sometimes a bit heavy on the butter and cream, but always delicious.

Jann said...

Lydia~ I am happy to hear that you enjoyed this! Wasn't it great? Do you think it would taste better if it was warmed up a bit? Thanks for stopping by!

K and S said...

sounds like a great way to entertain! plus it is so colorful :)

Cynthia said...

I love the barefoot contessa but would you believe I own none of her books? How scandalous is that!

Simona Carini said...

For a vegetable lover like me this dish is heaven on a plate. I'll have to indulge in it one of these days.

cucina testa rossa said...

oooooooh! that looks sooooooo good!!!! it's 1:20pm and i haven't had dinner and now i'm really hungry! :)

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

Oh wow! I don't have any of her books but they now show her programmes on TV so I'm starting to get to know her style of cooking.
I like your blue and white stand.

T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...

Hi Jann! This looks delicious, just the right dash of deep flavor and color to brighten a winter meal!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Gorgeous color and flavor in this dish Jann. I do like her style and her books! Have to try this dish!

Caffienated Cowgirl said...

Lovely...I would gladly be a dinner guest with that as a course!

I too enjoy Barefoot Contessa...casual yet stunning is the way to go :)

Katie Zeller said...

Very pretty, Jann! I'm sure it was a hit!
I have one of her books and love it! I'd buy more but then I'd have to carry them home with me. On to amazon.com (they love me)

Betty Carlson said...

This certainly looks lovely enough!

I have only barely heard of these cookbooks -- I'll have to get on Amazon like Katie, I guess. They love our whole family!

Peabody said...

Beautiful colors in the tart.

winedeb said...

Nice job Jann! Lucky company! I love the Contessa. I have her book on Paris, but usually just pull recipes off of food network when I watch her show. Nice serving platter!

Christine said...

This is a beautiful recipe Jann, and just the thing to lift the winter spirits! I know just who to make this for. I'll let you know after I've served it. :)

Unknown said...

This is something I could make using the mandoline I got for Christmas, if I could find time to figure out how to use it!