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Let’s Go Steady: Grilled Summer Vegetable Strata

13

July 17, 2012

Recipe: Grilled Summer Vegetable Strata

You might have noticed some minor changes around here lately. Nothing too big of course, but hopefully some small upgrades that will make Shut Up & Cook tick up one more notch on your “Favorite Food Blogs” list. (Incidentally, thank you to all who participated in the giveaway for free tickets to the Best of Seattle Party. All of your blog suggestions and recipe wish lists were such fun to receive).

The biggest change is the addition of a Recipe Index. That’s right folks, a one-stop-shop, all-you-can-eat, everything goes list of each and every recipe I’ve done over the last few years.

Looking through it I feel a mixture of many emotions: Pride (Hot damn, I’ve done some cooking!), embarrassment (Where do I get some of my blog post title ideas?), sadness (Still miss dogs Lucky and Onca every day), and peace (The past years haven’t all been easy, but I truly believe I’m better for them).

If you make nothing else from this blog…make these cookies. I guarantee they will be the best you’ve ever had.

For those of you that are new readers, I invite you to take a scroll through the list. Hopefully you’ll find new recipes to fall in love with, or discover old favorites. I felt like I was meeting a dear friend looking through the list, remembering moments and events, and who I was in each. With that, a few of what I think are the best (thank GOODNESS my photos have gotten better…eeesh!):

What I was surprised to find wasn’t on there however, was Strata. This was most odd because I make it at least once a month, and it’s a go-to for a delicious make-ahead brunch food that always feeds and satisfies a crowd. For those of you not familiar with the magic that is a strata, it is essentially a savory bread pudding meets egg custard. Stale bread is diced over which an egg/milk/cream mixture is poured. Any other assortment of ingredients are then added, it sits over night, and you bake it in the morning, resulting in a delicious smelling, beautiful looking, amazing tasting, puffed delight.

Grilled Summer Vegetable Strata
Serves 8 – 10

A perfect way to begin a Sunday morning.

The beauty of a strata is that you can throw whatever in…here I did grilled summer vegetables as a means to tackle my CSA, but you can do an endless combination of ingredients; think artichoke hearts and goat cheese, mushrooms and chorizo, peppers and sausage…the list could go on, and on, and is limited only by your creativity, and your leftovers.

  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups milk, cream, half and half, whatever
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 4 cups stale bread, cubed
  • 1 zucchini, thinly sliced
  • 1 summer squash, thinly sliced
  • Glug olive oil
  • 1 bunch kale, washed, and coarsely chopped
  • 2 cups semihard cheese, shredded
  • 1 cup semisoft cheese, shredded
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Fold in the bread and semihard cheese and set aside.
  2. Preheat a gas grill on high. Take the zucchini and squash slices and toss with olive oil. Over medium heat, using a grill pan if you have one, cook until softened and grill marks beginning to show and flavor slightly smoky. Remove from grill and coarsely chop.
  3. Grease a 9×13 inch glass baking dish.
  4. Pour in half the egg mixture. Top with half the zucchini and squash, half the kale, and half the semisoft cheese. Repeat with remaining egg mixture, vegetables, and cheese.
  5. Cover with foil and allow to soak in fridge overnight.
  6. Remove from fridge one hour before cooking and preheat oven to 325.
  7. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes without foil, rotating halfway through, and returning foil if top getting too brown. Bake until the top of the dish is very brown and the middle is springy. Let the strata cool for 10 minutes before serving.

13 comments »

  1. Love it Erina! Off to check out the baked oysters and chicken marsala right now – those are some of my favs and I haven’t made them in forever.

    • Erina says:

      Oh brilliant. Those are two delicious ones…the oysters being more work than the marsala, simply because of the schucking, but so delicious nonetheless. And the chicken marsala make great leftovers too!

  2. emmycooks says:

    I see so many recipes I want to try! An index is such a reasonable way to keep older recipes accessible, but seems like a lot of work. Is yours automated in any way, or do you just have to add each post? Either way, thanks for doing it, and I can’t wait to try those cookies. 🙂

    • Erina says:

      It was a lot of work…a large portion of the weekend, but now it’s done and will be easy to update going forward. It’s not automated (though I’m sure it could be), but it’ll have to just be little ‘ol manual me for now!

  3. bellini says:

    A recipe index definitely makes it easier for both readers and ourselves to find that special recipe we are looking for. Otherwise how do you find that recipe you made 2 years ago, that rocked your world.

    • Erina says:

      You are so right! It really was fun putting it together…and a little shocking to realize just how many things I’d cooked and written about…not to mention the umpteen others that never make it onto the blog for one reason or another. Nice to have it alll archived for posterity.

  4. Hannah says:

    Awesome to see your recipe index! I adore molasses cookies and can’t wait to try yours (plus many other recipes),

    • Erina says:

      Thanks Hannah! Truly, if people make no other recipe from this blog, they should make these cookies. They are amazing and addicitive and just oh-so-good. Hope you’re doing okay…thinking of you!

  5. Ann Mah says:

    I love strata! It’s a great way to use up those tooth-chipping chunks of baguette that otherwise attract ants to my kitchen. I’m usually too disorganized to let mine soak overnight, but you’re inspiring me to plan ahead!

    • Erina says:

      Haha…thanks Ann! If I’m being honest I made this one at Midnight for a brunch the next morning, so I’m definitely not always that organized, but I do much prefer the texture of it when it’s had a chance to soak and have all those flavors mingle over night. What are some other favorite ingredient combos you use for your stratas?

  6. Terra says:

    That is a perfect way to start a Sunday morning! It sounds really hearty and delicious:-) Take care, Terra

    • Erina says:

      Thanks Terra! It was definitely both those things and given that it was so loaded with veggies I didn’t even feel TOO guilty about it….major bonus points for that in my book!

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