Tomato Eggplant Gratin

August going into September. The heat breaks a little, just a little, but you feel it. The air has less insistence. The mornings are slightly cooler. The kids at the daycare are calmer in the afternoons, which may be the temperature or may be that we are all settling into a new rhythm with the new group.

Elijah said my name this week. Very quietly, while I was reading to the group on the rug. Everyone else was fidgeting or looking around and Elijah was listening and when I paused at the end of a page he said Vanna. Very small. I did not make a big thing of it. I just said yes, and kept reading. But I felt it. I always feel it the first time a child says my name. It means they have decided I am real and present and worth the risk of a word.

I made tomato pie this week, which I had never made before and which Gloria mentioned once in passing and which I found a recipe for in the library book. You par-bake the crust, layer in sliced tomatoes that you have salted and drained so they are not too wet, top with a mixture of cheese and mayonnaise, bake until golden. It is a summer thing, a very Southern thing, and I made it with tomatoes from the farmers market that were red and heavy and perfect.

It was extraordinary. The cheese topping goes golden and slightly crispy and the tomatoes underneath are concentrated and sweet from roasting. I brought half of it to Gloria on Sunday and she said I have not had tomato pie in years and ate two slices and said where did you find that recipe. The library, I said. She shook her head slowly the way she does when something pleases her.

The tomato pie I made that week cracked something open in me—I had not known a simple, honest bake with summer tomatoes could feel so complete. When I went looking for what to make next, this gratin felt like a natural step: the same ripe, heavy tomatoes from the farmers market, the same idea of layering and roasting until everything concentrates and goes golden, but with eggplant adding a softness underneath that makes it feel like a proper meal. It is the kind of recipe Gloria would approve of, and that is always enough reason for me.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for salting eggplant
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons fresh basil, torn, for finishing

Instructions

Salt the eggplant. Lay eggplant rounds in a single layer on a sheet pan or cutting board. Sprinkle both sides generously with salt and let sit for 15 minutes to draw out moisture. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Layer the vegetables. Arrange eggplant and tomato slices in the baking dish in overlapping rows, alternating between the two. Tuck garlic slices between layers as you go.
Season and drizzle. Scatter thyme leaves over the top, then season with 1 teaspoon salt and the black pepper. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil evenly over the surface.
Add the topping. In a small bowl, stir together the Parmesan, mozzarella, and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the layered vegetables.
Bake. Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and collapsed, the eggplant is tender, and the topping is deep golden and slightly crispy at the edges.
Rest and serve. Let the gratin rest for 5–10 minutes before serving. Scatter torn fresh basil over the top. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Tomato Eggplant Gratin — The Summer Dish That Felt Like Coming Home