Veggie Lasagna
Ingredients:
Zucchini, eggplant and/or yellow squash, sliced in thick slices
Ground meat (this is one of my fave ways to eat venison)
Tomato or spaghetti sauce (there’s nothing like making your own from garden fresh tomatoes)
Blend of veggies, stir fried (I like mushrooms, onions, peppers)
Ricotta or cottage cheese
Mixture of any shredded cheese
Fresh basil and oregano, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Lightly brown sliced squash/eggplant in a skillet over medium/high heat and layer onto a plate.
Crumble and brown meat and drain.
Now layer squash/eggplant, then sauce mixed with chopped herbs, then some of both cheeses, stir fried veggies and ground meat and repeat layers.
I typically end with a top layer of squash.
Bake in the oven at 350 for 40 minutes or until bubbling and browned on top.
Tips:
Near the end of cooking, I sometimes add some fresh herbs and a sprinkling of cheese and allow to brown before removing from the oven.
You can salt and pepper as you build your layers, add it to your sauce or let guests add their own after serving.
For those who are dairy sensitive, try crumbled tofu and/or hummus--roasted red pepper hummus gives a nice, cheesy taste and mouth-feel.
A note from Patty: I’ve been making this recipe for years and it was inspired by the piles of zucchini I typically have every summer from my garden. The over-abundance usually lasts for about a month, and I sometimes run out of people who will accept zucchini donations. In Barbara Kingsolver’s book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, she talks about the zucchini abundance phenomenon in her country town. She says nobody locks their doors except in the summer when people are afraid their neighbors will sneak in and leave bags of zucchini in their house when they’re not home. I can certainly sympathize! - Patty