A fresh and delicious summer gratin filled with layers of eggplant, tomatoes, chard, and mozzarella.

gratin with tomatoes, eggplant and chard

One weekend.

Two weddings

Four states.

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And now I might have Get Lucky stuck in my head for the rest of eternity.

If you haven’t heard it, it goes something like “we’re up all night to get lucky”. Over and over.

I won’t even tell you the ideas that put into the.boy’s head.

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So while I’ve really loved getting to wear heels two nights in a row along with form-fitting dresses that require major stomach sucking in…and not quite as much eating as I’m inclined to do…

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(I mean, don’t get me wrong, the weddings were beautiful and so much fun! And all that jazz.)

I am definitely looking forward to wearing jeans again.

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And returning home to a fridge full of vegetables.

There’s only so much wedding cake a girl can inhale, after all.

I made this gratin the Friday before all this insanity went down and it was just what we needed to prepare us for this weekend of indulgence. Filled with summer vegetable after summer vegetable and a good honest layer of mozzarella, this gratin will hit the spot whether you’re about to embark on a #weddingroadtrip or are just trying to get a handle on your Monday.

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One year ago…Chocolate Cupcakes with Basil Buttercream Frosting

Two years ago…Peaches and Dream Pie, Tupelo Honey Coleslaw with Sweet Potatoes and Sunflower Seeds

Three years ago…Sultan’s Delight

Four years ago…Pistachio Pesto Pasta with Butternut Squash, Peach Blueberry Pie

Gratin with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Chard
 
A fresh and delicious summer gratin filled with layers of eggplant, tomatoes, chard, and mozzarella.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1½ lb eggplant (I used fairytale eggplants)
  • sea salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for eggplant
  • 1 small finely diced onion
  • 1 lb chard leaves, chopped
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • several large basil leaves, torn
  • 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 4 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
  • handful of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
Instructions
  1. Slice the eggplants into rounds that are about ½-inch thick. If the eggplant isn't super fresh, salt the slices and let stand for 30 minutes to remove bitterness. Blot dry with paper towels.
  2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Toss eggplant slices with olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the slices and cook for about 6 minutes or until a bit charred. Turn the slices over and cook on the second side for another 6 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chard and a bit of salt. Cover and cook until the chard is wilted, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 350.
  5. Cover a gratin dish with half the eggplant slices. Season with salt and pepper. Add the basil and half the tomato slices. Top with half the mozzarella. Scatter the chard over the cheese. Layer the remaining eggplant, tomato slices and cheese. Scatter the cherry tomatoes on top.
  6. Toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle over the top of the gratin. Bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Adapted from Vegetable Literacy
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ¼ of recipe

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86 Responses to Gratin with Tomatoes, Eggplant and Chard

  1. So you survived the crazy double wedding weekend, phew! I’m always so happy to go back to normal after a crazy weekend like that. Yay for veggies and cheese:-)

  2. Ooooh, I have all of these ingredients on hand right now! I think I gotta try this! 🙂 Looks wonderful.

  3. Johanna GGG says:

    sounds delicious – I was at my mum’s on the weekend and she makes an eggplant, onion and tomato stew that is amazing – I think your gratin sounds like a more beefed up version (sorry can’t think of the right veg-friendly phrase!). Sounds like a busy weekend

  4. Chewthefat says:

    No matter how good the food is at a wedding, by the time they serve it I am usually too tired to eat!

  5. Beth says:

    After a weekend like that, it’s great to have some simple, wholesome food to come home to. Hopefully you have some leftovers to enjoy today!

  6. carrian says:

    that seriousy looks and sounds amazing

  7. SallyBR says:

    You do realize I’ll have that song buzzing in my mind for the rest of the day, right? 😉

    Loved the first photo in particular, beautiful!

    Glad you got to enjoy a fun weekend, one of stepsons gets married next month, and I bought a pair of killer black shoes, probably will wear them once and that’s it 😉

  8. weddings are fun but gets tiring after a while – and two of them, glad you survived it 🙂

  9. BUSY weekend!! I can’t imagine two weddings in one weekend, whoa! But I can imagine this gratin in my BELLY!

  10. Looks yummy. I might have to try this one soon.

  11. Kathryn says:

    This sounds so tasty!

  12. Bah! I just got that song OUT of my head 😉 At least it’s a good song. Thanks for the dinner idea!!!! Love.

  13. Pam says:

    What a great dish and it’s pretty too! And a fun weekend!

  14. This looks great – I love eggplant !

  15. Sounds like you had a great weekend! Nice recipe with eggplant, one of our favorites!

  16. P says:

    Awww, this looks so healthy and delicious! Is there really such a thing as too much wedding cake though :D?

  17. Oy. Weddings are fun but I hear you — that’s a whole lot of wedding in one weekend. It would all be worth it to come home to this yummy gratin, though! 🙂

  18. Nothing better than warm veggies, melted cheese, and crusty bread! Two weddings in one weekend sounds nuts, especially if you had to travel to them both! Hope you were able to get a good long sleep afterwards!

  19. Jeanette says:

    What a perfect summer gratin Joanne – beautiful and a great way to enjoy summer produce at its best!

  20. Stacy says:

    Yum, Joanne! The gratin looks deliciously more-ish! I admire your restraint with the bread. I’d have slathered both of those slices with a thick layer of butter. 🙂 But then again, and not surprisingly, my days of form-fitting dresses are long past.

  21. Oooo those heirloom tomatoes look like what Mondays are made of. This sounds delicious!

  22. Whoa, it sounds like you had quite a weekend! I hope you are relaxing and recovering – or at least wearing jeans – today!

    This great recipe is definitely going in the dinner rotation 🙂

  23. Jessie says:

    Oh my goodness, what a weekend! I can’t even imagine how exhausted you must be after traveling around to two weddings! At least you had this incredible gratin to set you up for the weekend – and hopefully, you had a little leftover to recover when you got back 😉

  24. Sounds like you’ve been quite the busy bee! I totally agree…weddings are fun but taking off the dress and heels at the end of the night and slipping on some pjs is the best part 😉 I love eggplant and am always looking for a new way to use it…this sounds so yummy!

  25. Four states?! Giiiiiiirl, you be crazy. And I can definitely relate to the relaxation of being at home with your fridge of vegetables…so good. This gratin is the shiz!! Loving it!

  26. such a lovely,tangy summer treat…refreshingly scrumptious 🙂

  27. And wedding cakes are usually over loaded with sugar!! This looks so delicious!

  28. Amy says:

    Did you see my FB status several weeks ago?

    Trevor: You know this song where the boy says “he’s going to stay up all night to get lucky” ??
    Haley: Ya
    Trevor: What does he mean?
    Haley: He probably gets to have as much dessert as he wants, all night long. Why else would anyone want to stay up all night?

    If Paul and I got married again, I would ditch the cake and serve pie. Could be a new trend. Or not.

  29. 2 weddings in one weekend is a lot – especially in different states! You need a day to recover from that!!

  30. Katerina says:

    Now you are in the wedding phase! What follows is babies!! Your gratin looks delicious!

  31. Summer veggie gratins are the greatest!!!

    Glad you survived the weekend!

  32. Megan says:

    Sounds like a fun weekend! Veggie gratins are the best with fresh summer veggies.

  33. This dish looks and sounds fantastic. Perfect summer dinner. Happy travels!

  34. Pam says:

    Two weddings in a weekend? Exhausting but fun. The gratin looks fantastic. I love everything about it!

  35. Wow – your eggplant, tomato and chard gratin looks so so good! Such an easy, simple, delish looking dish – thanks for sharing 🙂
    Shashi @ http://runninsrilankan.com

  36. Cheese, summer veggies, and toasty breadcrumbs- I’d wear/suffer heels through fourteen weddings, just for gratin like this. Delicious!!

  37. debbie says:

    I love weddings…such happy occasions! Your dish looks great Joanne and healthy too. I could also have no problem digging into that bread!

  38. This looks absolutely delicious! And I just happen to have some tomatoes and cheese that need to get used up ASAP. Thanks for providing me a way to do that!

  39. Kate says:

    I think 2 weddings in one weekend is more impressive than your marathons!

  40. Shannon says:

    glad you survived! that sounds crazy intense. i would totally want this after coming back from that, hope you have some leftover 🙂

  41. This looks like the perfect post-crazy-weekend meal!

  42. Sam says:

    Yum! This looks so good!

  43. Suzie says:

    Ha ha, my son got me hooked on that song after he sent it to his wife…lol! You were a busy girl this weekend…wow! I would like to come home to some vegetables too 🙂 The dish sounds wonderful!

  44. ramblingtart says:

    You must be exhausted!! 🙂 So glad you have this deliciousness to comfort and sustain you after all that cake. 🙂

  45. gloria says:

    I think this look perfect!! delicious!

  46. Monet says:

    Weddings are so fun…but so exhausting too! This gratin looks like a great way to unwind from it all. Thank you for sharing. Now to buy a few eggplant!

  47. Wow what a whirl wind weekend. But oh…to come home to that! Nicely done and talk about thinking ahead. This is my idea of comfort food after a big road trip!

  48. Christine says:

    Well, you were one busy girl! Whew, hope you’ve recovered. Okay, this is one delicious looking gratin, summer magic in a mouthful!

  49. Caroline says:

    I’d have to crawl into bed for three days to recover from your weekend! Bravo for even having the energy to post this! This dish looks so delicious….I love gratins, especially when they involve eggplant…one of my favorite veggies! Welcome home!

  50. Abby says:

    Getting lucky should include this 😉 kidding aside, what a great dinner and crusty bread on the side? now you’re talking!

  51. This is a lovely gratin and the photograph is stunningly beautiful.
    Best wishes.

  52. Perfect pre wedding dish! Hope you had a blast at both of them Joanne 🙂

  53. You must be exhausted! This gratin looks wonderful! I’m salivating just looking at it! Wonderful post Joanne.

  54. Veronica says:

    Some day when I become a millionaire, either I’m going to fly you here, or move there, so you can be my chef. I love your creative healthy meals!!

  55. daphne says:

    What a good looking gratin. Especially with cheese and eggplant!

  56. What a weekend! I think this gratin must have looked like heaven after you finally made it home and were able to wind down with it.

  57. Hotly Spiced says:

    It sounds like the weekend must have spun by in a blur. What fabulous fun! I know all about having to suck your stomach in and squeeze into a too-small dress and hobble about in painful far-too-high heels – it just goes with the territory. I would have slipped into my tracksuit the moment I crashed through my door xx

  58. I’m toooooootally ready to dive into this head first! Such a perfect late Summer meal!

  59. 2 weddings, 4 states, 1 weekend… how are you awake right now!? Whew. ‘Tis the season.

    This sounds wonderful. Definitely my kind of meal.

  60. what a perfect gratin. sounds like crazy travels!

  61. That is one tasty looking gratin!

  62. Now this is what I call summer on a plate!

  63. Pamela Reed says:

    This looks delicious, and now I’m craving bread so bad too! Sounds like a LUCKY meal. 🙂

  64. This looks so amazingly good – I’m imagining all the different combos I can come up with from the garden this week – thanks for the inspiration!

  65. 2 weddings and 4 states?? I could barely handle just one this past weekend. I wish I had this to get ready for that 😉

  66. 2 wedding in one weekend. Well, lets see the plus side is 2 nights of amazing food, drinks and dancing the bad news is two nights of heels- but hey who said after a hour or so you can’t kick them off anyway! Love this gratin

  67. Karen says:

    This looks like a really delicious meal!

  68. I totally love any gratin, and one made with eggplants even better. Such a comforting dish. I have not been to a wedding in for ever, so I couldn’t imagine going to two back to back 🙂

  69. Monica says:

    Haha – you crack me up!! I also crave veggies and good, basic home cooking after traveling and just indulging. I hate sucking in my stomach too…there’s nothing like being back home and in your “normal” clothes.

  70. Ashley says:

    Beautiful! I just used some colorful tomatoes last night and ate them again for dinner and oh my…I could eat them in dishes like this one every single day!

  71. sandra says:

    I do love a nice wedding – but two in one weekend is even more than I could bear. I hope they had good locations (views), color combos (more views) and a lot of the bubbly.

  72. Lovely gratin! Shame they don’t serve this type of food at weddings, instead of ‘chicken or beef?’

  73. Sounds like madness…but also a lot of fun! And this gratin looks like summer personified!

  74. this gratin looks wonderful Joanne! I can’t imagine attending two weddings in one weekend – sounds so hectic and stressful! But eating this would make it all better – those veggies are all so gorgeous!

  75. Reeni says:

    Sounds like an adventure! One that required wholesome sustenance. Top just about anything with mozzarella and I’m all over it but this just happens to have some of my favorite things in the mix! Plus it is totally gorgeous.

  76. As much as I love weddings, they sure can be exhausting! I don’t miss those summers consisting of multiple weddings. But it does sound like you had a good time.

    I’m on a ratatouille kick so we always have eggplant and tomatoes and zucchini and mozzarella tucked in the fridge. Your gratin does look wonderful!

  77. cquek says:

    tomatoes and egg plant, sounds a good idea. going to check it out.

  78. KATHY says:

    This is a fabulous looking dish! I would so enjoy it! Beautiful!

  79. I absolutely love eggplant and can’t wait to try this! Thanks for sharing!

  80. Rhonda says:

    My feet hurt just reading this! 🙂 We heard that Get Lucky song for the first time at the pool during our resort weekend stay. Everyone was singing along and Tom and I were like?!?! I guess we are officially out of it.

  81. I cooked this wonderful eggplant recipe and it came out great! I froze the leftovers for some day in the future when I don’t have time to cook. Thanks for sharing this one as I really like to eat a mostly vegetarian diet and recipes like this one helps.

  82. Nutmeg Nanny says:

    Oh wow. These photos are so beautiful, what a lovely dish 🙂 full of delicious flavor.

  83. JenHen says:

    I came across this recipe last night while trying to eat all my csa produce before going on vaca. It was delicious (I added some roasted garlic just because). Thanks for helping me use 3 veggies in one dish! Oh and I will definitely be back, digging your cooking style & pop references…I’m a secret top 10 listener/singer/dancer. 😉

  84. Adrian Fleur says:

    You make exactly the sort of food I love, and want to eat for the rest of my life! This looks gorgeous!

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