Zucchini Tian with Curried Bread Crumbs

This was going to be my last dish with the zucchini from my garden, so I wanted it to be a good one. This recipe intrigued me – curry AND rosemary – I wanted to make it, but I wasn’t positive that it was going to actually taste good.

Well, it lived up to the hopes for my farewell zucchini dish, it was full of deep, rich flavor, with a great texture contrast from the breadcrumbs and onion-tomato mixture.

I served it with rice, we ended up mixing it all together, yum!! Definitely worth a try. But be prepared for a house smelling of curry…makes you want to eat more!

Zucchini Tian with Curried Bread Crumbs

By Melissa Clark

1 tablespoon curry powder7 ½ tablespoons olive oil1 ¼ cups whole-wheat or regularpanko bread crumbs2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt1 large white onion, halved and thinly sliced

2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

¼ cup dry white wine

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon orange zest

½ teaspoon black pepper, more to taste

4 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced (about 7 cups)

Directions

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add curry powder and let toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, then stir in panko bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat, then add onions, rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until onions are a deep golden brown.

Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Pour white wine into pan and bring to a simmer, scraping up any brown bits. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, orange zest and black pepper.

Grease inside of a medium-size gratin dish with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and spread a third of the onion and tomato mixture on the bottom. Begin layering zucchini in an overlapping pattern, beginning around the outside and working your way in.