summer lasagna {vegan}

Okay, so it is not the prettiest photo, but this Summer Lasagna that I made last week was truly outstanding. The star ingredient was the second half of the huge yellow squash I harvested from my garden last week, and when paired with the rest of the ingredients and some amazing basil hummus, I found myself "mmmmm-ing" with every bite I took.

Summer Lasagna {vegan}



In the mix::

• kernels from three ears of sweet corn
• 1/2 large yellow squash, sliced thinly lengthwise (for your lasagna noodles)
• 4 new potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• 1/2 candy onion, slices into thin rounds
• a few handfuls of organic baby spinach
• 1 cup of chickpeas tossed in a teaspoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 cup basil hummus (recipe below)

In a colander over a large bowl, layer squash and sprinkle with salt. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. (If your squash was smaller and not ginormous like mine, you could probably skip this step).

Begin preparing your lasagna by layering all of the ingredients in a 9 x 13 pan in the following order,  squash, 1/2 cup basil hummus, new potatoes, onion, corn, and one handful of spinach. Repeat that layer one more time saving enough squash for one more layer, and just a bit of corn and onions to sprinkle over the top.

Top everything off with the chickpeas and bake in a 350* oven for 1 hour. Place under the broiler for just a few minutes to crisp up the top.



The dish really was spectacular and we are still eating leftovers a few days later. Every time we eat it, I ask Nic what changes he would make and he had a great idea to add a layer of sweet potatoes. I love that idea because I think the sweetness would really compliment the sweetness of the corn and it would add another layer of creaminess to the dish.



We served the lasanga up with our first tomatoes of the season, grown by someone else in town. I can't wait for all of the green tomatoes in my garden to start ripen up!

Basil Hummus
This basil might be my favorite yet. Used in the recipe for lasagna above, it does a nice job replacing the traditional cheese layer.

In the mix::

• 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed but save the cooking liquid
• 1/2 T tahini
• 6 T of the bean cooking liquid (or water)
• 1.5 T olive oil
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 cup loosely packed basil leaves

Combine everything in a food processor and process until smooth.

summer squash gratin with sweet corn and new potatoes

Remember this beauty of a photo I took last Thursday after snagging some delicious looking produce from the farmers market and my garden?



Seriously, I think I might print and frame it and hang it in my kitchen. I am sure gazing at it during the dreary cold winter months in Iowa will instantly snap me out of a funk and send me back to thoughts of summertime.

Well, after a long time baking away in the oven, Nic and I feasted on the flavors of summer.



Side by side:



Seven main ingredients + spices and vegetable stock = a simple, yet elegant, summer dish.

Summer Squash Gratin with Sweet Corn and New Potatoes

In the mix::

• 1/2 huge summer squash, sliced into thin rounds
• 1/2 sweet onion, sliced into thin rounds
• 3 new potatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• kernels from 2 ears of sweet corn
• 3 small tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
• 5 basil leaves, roughly chopped (I would use more next time)
• 1/2 cup chickpeas
• 1/2 T olive oil
• 1 t garlic powder
• 1.5 cups vegetable stock
• Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375* and grease a nine in pie plate with a little bit of olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix the chickpeas with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic powder and a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside.

Prepare the gratin. Beginning on the outer edge of the pie plate, layer your vegeatbles in the following order; squash, potato, tomato, onion and a sprinkle of sweet corn. Continue until the pie plate is filled.

I then gently tucked the basil in between a few of the layers, however, I think next time I would double the basil and include a piece in between each layer.

Pour the vegetable stock over the vegetable layer, being careful not to overflow pie plate. You might not need the entire amount, just enough to come about one-half of the way up the veggie layer.

Gratins typically have breadcrumbs or cheese on the top, but since I had no bread and opted not to use cheese, I thought throwing some chickpeas on top sounded like my best bet. And it was a great idea. So, top your gratin with the chickpeas (or breadcrumbs/cheese) and place into the oven for about one hour.

When the vegetables are fork tender and the top is beginning to brown, turn on the broiler and allow the top and chickpeas to crisp up a bit (about 3-5 minutes).



The roasted chickpeas - my favorite part and a fabulous addition. The rest of the dish was really delicious as well. It was a simple dish with mellow flavors. Like I said above, I think I would up the basil next time around. Another great idea would be to toss the vegetables in a bit of olive oil flavored with an herb of your choice (basil, thyme, rosemary...) and let the vegetables marinate for a few hours before baking.



Ultimately, this was a great dish that highlighted a vegetable the I grew (did I tell you that yet?!) and some awesome seasonal produce that was grown right here in town.