Summer veggie casserole lets seasonal bounty shine

We have now entered my favorite time of year for seasonal eating, late summer, when there’s a bounty of corn, tomatoes, peaches, eggplant, squash and much more to be had.

August is such a marvelous month for care-free cooking, because when all of the very best things are in season, you can keep it simple and just let those fresh flavors shine, without complicating matters.

If it’s not too hot and you don’t mind turning on the oven, I hope you’ll try out the recipe I’m sharing here. It’s a summery casserole, which sounds like something of an oxymoron. After all, hot dishes tend to be wintry comfort food, with a stick-to-your ribs sensibility.

This is not that. A vegetarian one-pot supper featuring eggplant, potatoes, bell peppers and zucchini in a red sauce, it gives eggplant parm vibes without the fuss of dredging and frying.

I got the recipe from Claire’s Corner Copia, a popular vegetarian restaurant back in my home state of Connecticut that has become a landmark eatery in New Haven, serving up incredibly delicious food since 1975 and gaining something of a cult following.

Owner/operator Claire Criscuolo shared this eggplant casserole in her first book (she’s written several more since), explaining that she first got the recipe from her mother-in-law, who makes many a mean veggie casserole.

She suggests serving it alone as an entree or alongside linguine with marinara sauce.

I concur. In my opinion, you need nothing more than a nice hunk of bread to eat alongside, with maybe a green salad to start.

The leftovers are also fantastic — I think this dish gets better as it sits, with the flavors melding more. And it’s good both hot or cold. I have devoured a good amount of this straight from the fridge, directly out of the baking dish.

It’s pretty perfect as is, but if you want to gussy it up a bit, I think some fresh basil on top would be a lovely addition.

I make it at least once a summer, usually late in the season, around the same time that I cook up a big batch of ratatouille — another veg-forward seasonal favorite.

I have cooked this for meat lovers and veg-heads alike, always to rave reviews. There’s something so meaty about eggplant, and, of course, potatoes have that filling, starchy quality that makes them so satisfying.

When putting this dish together, be sure to season each layer as you go. It’s key that every element is full of flavor, well-seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan, because these veggies are rather bland otherwise.

Do note that this casserole bakes for about 2 hours, so you’ll need to get started early. But once it’s in the oven, it’s a set-it-and-forget affair.