RECIPE: Briami, or Greek Vegetable Casserole

Basia HellwigAugust 16, 20101 Mins read12 Views

BRIAMI IS ONE OF MANY ratatouille-like dishes found around the Mediterranean, each with its own distinctive taste and slight variations of ingredients. Served with a green salad, this makes a great main dish. Meatless Monday anyone?

Serves 3-4 as a main dish, 4-6 as a side

1 large red pepper, roughly chopped

¼ cup olive oil

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium zucchini (about ¾ lb), thickly sliced

¾ lb small potatoes, unpeeled, cut into ½ inch slices

2 lbs ripe tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped

(when tomatoes are out of season, use drained, canned Italian tomatoes—Marzano if possible)

1 tsp dried oregano

2 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley

2 tbs chopped fresh dill

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Place peppers, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, herbs and cinnamon in a bowl and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tbs of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the other vegetables in the bowl and toss together. Transfer to a large baking dish and drizzle with remaining olive oil.

Cover and bake 1 to 1½ hours, stirring every 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Eat as a main dish, with a salad, or as a side dish with chicken or fish. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

Adapted from The Essential Mediterranean Cookbook (Bay Books, an imprint of Murdoch Books).