Recipe of the Week

Adapted from Suzy Karadsheh

Note from the author:

“Nothing much is needed than a warm piece of your favorite bread or a bed of rice or your favorite grain to sop up all the goodness. You can do as they would in Greece and add a side of great feta and some olives. A small starter like roasted garlic hummus would not hurt. If you’re serving a larger dinner, you can serve briam as a side dish next to roast chicken, lamb or even fish.”

1 1/4 lb potatoes (about 3 medium-size potatoes), peeled and thinly sliced into rounds (about 1/8-inch thick)
1 1/4 lb zucchini squash (2 to 3 zucchini), thinly sliced into rounds (about 1/4-inch thick)
Salt and pepper
2 tsp dried oregano
scant 1 tsp dried rosemary 
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
Extra virgin olive oil
1 28-oz canned diced tomatoes with juice (or 3 cups diced tomatoes)
1 large red onion or 2 smaller red onions, thinly sliced into rounds (if large, you’ll want to cut the onion in half first, and then slice)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the middle.

Place sliced potatoes and zucchini in a large mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt, pepper, oregano, and rosemary. Add fresh parsley, garlic, and a generous drizzle extra virgin olive oil. Toss to make sure the vegetables are well coated with the oil and spices.

Grab a large round pan or skillet. Pour half of the tomatoes in and spread to cover the bottom of the pan.

Arrange the seasoned potatoes, zucchini, and sliced onions in the pan in rows (simply going around the shape of the pan and alternating), then top with the remaining tomatoes. If you don’t feel like arranging the vegetables neatly in round rows, you can use a large casserole dish or baking dish and simply spread the vegetables flat in the dish on top of the tomatoes and top with the oil mixture and remainder of the tomatoes.

Cover the pan with foil (tent foil a bit so it is not touching the veggies). Bake in 400 degrees F heated-oven for 45 minutes. Take pan out briefly to carefully remove foil, then place back in oven, uncovered, and roast for another 30-40 minutes or until the veggies are soft and charred and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove from oven. Serve warm or at room temperature with an added generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.