Summer Vegetable Torta Recipes

VEGETABLE TORTA

Steps:

• Place the dried mushrooms in a bowl and pour on the boiling water. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft.
• Place the steel-cut oats in a bowl. Add salt to taste. Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over the bowl. Drain the mushrooms, pouring their soaking liquid through the strainer, and then squeeze liquid out of the mushrooms while holding them over the strainer. The oatmeal should be submerged in the soaking liquid (add a little water if it is not). Leave the oatmeal to soak for 20 minutes while you prepare your other ingredients.
• Rinse the mushrooms of any sand. Drain them, then squeeze dry and chop medium-fine. Set aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium-high heat and add the soaked steel-cut oats, along with any liquid remaining in the bowl. Stir constantly until all of the liquid has evaporated and the oats are cooked al dente, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Heat another tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a heavy 10- or 11-inch nonstick skillet. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, zucchini, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and cook, stirring, for another minute, until the zucchini begins to soften. Add the steel-cut oats, stir together until everything is well combined, and remove from the heat.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the oregano or marjoram and 3/4 cup of the Parmesan. Stir in the oat mixture and mix well. Clean the pan and wipe dry.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. When the oil is hot, pour in the egg mixture, scraping every last bit out of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Cover the pan tightly and turn the heat to medium. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until the eggs are set (insert a knife in the middle; it should come out clean). Remove the lid and remove from the heat. Let sit for a few minutes in the pan, then invert onto a serving plate. Top with the remaining Parmesan. Allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes and cut in wedges. Serve with a simple marinara sauce.

INA GARTEN'S ROASTED VEGETABLE TORTE (BAREFOOT CONTESSA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Cook the zucchini, onions, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat for 10 minutes until the zucchini is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
• Brush the red and yellow peppers and eggplant with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast on a baking sheet for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft but not browned.
• In a 6-inch round cake pan, place each vegetable in a single, overlapping layer, sprinkling Parmesan cheese and 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 of the red peppers, then all of the yellow peppers, then the rest of the zucchini and onions, and finally the rest of the eggplant.
• Cover the top of the vegetables with a 6-inch round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Place a 6-inch flat disk (another cake pan or the bottom of a false-bottom tart pan) on top and weight it with a heavy jar. Place on a plate or baking sheet (it will leak) and chill completely.
• Drain the liquids, place on a platter, and serve at room temperature.

LAYERED VEGETABLE TORTE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a grill; the heat should be medium-high, and the rack about 4 inches from flame. Brush eggplant, zucchini and mushrooms lightly with half the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; if roasting, grease 2 baking sheets with oil. Roast or grill vegetables on both sides until soft.
• Coat bottom and sides of 8-inch springform pan with oil. Layer a third of the eggplant slices into bottom of the pan, then layer in half the zucchini, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and basil, sprinkling each layer with a bit of salt and pepper. Repeat layers until all vegetable are used. Press the top with a spatula or spoon to make the torte as compact as possible. Sprinkle top with Parmesan and bread crumbs, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
• Bake torte in oven until hot throughout and browned on top, about 30 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing outer ring of pan, then let cool for another 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.