Neccesity IS the Mother of Invention

It was time to use the harvested veggies minus the tomatoes (they were eaten as soon as this pic was taken) and minus the jalapenos (too spicy for this dish.


Time for another tian. But since I had no fresh tomatoes I had to improvise and I made a new discovery. After slicing the onions and slicing all of the peppers, I sauteed them just until soft. I also added salt, pepper and some granulated garlic.


I shredded the Gruyere and Beemster cheeses.


And diced up an assortment of fresh herbs. I used basil, thyme, chives, oregano and parsley.


I sliced the big eggplant, sprinkled it with salt and let it drain, weighted, in a colander. You need to do this with the big eggplants to rid them of their bitterness.


Then I had an inspiration. What could I use to replace freshly sliced tomatoes? I had a container of my oven roasted tomatoes in the frig. I threw them in the bowl of my food processor.


They are roasted with olive oil and spices so I scraped it out of the container and added it to the bowl too.


I threw in about 7 garlic cloves.



And then I thought, why not add the fresh herbs?



I pulsed this together until it was of spreading consistency. Oh my...a new invention for me! This stuff is so good you can eat it with a spoon. It has transformed my tians and I have made at least a hundred of these over the years. There are endless possibilities for how this can be used. It is a perfect bruschetta topping, a great pizza sauce and wonderful as a sandwich spread. It is quite simply yumolicious!


I used the mandolin to slice a potato very thin.


I lined the pan with the potatoes.


Then sprinkled some of the grated cheese over the top.


I rinsed the eggplant and patted them dry and added them next.


I spread a layer of the yumolicious tomato spread over the eggplant and then sprinkled on some more cheese. I was so excited that I forgot to take a pic of the layer of spread.


Then a layer of my first zucchini of the year went on top of the cheese.


Next came the sauteed peppers and onions.


Then the Ichibon eggplants sliced into circles and strips.


More zucchini.


A final sprinkling of grated cheese.


I like to top it with Kalamata olives.


And some grated Asiago cheese. Then it bakes at 350 degrees until golden and the juices are bubbling around the edges.


A thing of beauty.


And look at it with the layer of the tomato spread!


Just when I thought these couldn't get any better, they did!!! And all because my tomato plants aren't producing.


I love it when things work out this way. Stop back tomorrow for another new discovery!!!


***Remember to enter the giveaway by clicking on the button on the sidebar.