COOKING FROM THE ITALIAN GARDEN

Our last cooking class..at least for a few months. I don't know if I'm glad or not. We took a lot of classes this time and it was almost 2 classes every week. We got lucky and got to prep on all the classes which I love and you learn so much more and get to know the instructors. Tonight was an Italian class given by Chis McKone. The meal consisted of an appetizer Crostini di Funghi alla Crema (musrooms with cream on toast). I didn't get a picture of that because it was gone in a flash! It was delicious.
The other dishes were:Potato Herb Frittata, Risotto Verde with fresh spinach and basil, Grilled vegetables, Zucchini Gratin, and Melon,Strawberries and Grapes with white wine and mint.
Everything was delicious as usual and everyone in the class did a great job with their dishes.
We all worked really hard to put out these dishes as well as having a lot of fun.
Here is the recipe for the ZUCCHINI GRATIN:
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs minced garlic
5 medium zucchini (about 1 1/2 lbs) sliced lengthwise, 1/4 inch thick
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 C heavy cream
1 C grated mozzarella
1 C grated fontina
1/4 C grated Romano
2 Tbs chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 C plain dried bread crumbs
2 Tbs unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Combine the fresh herbs with the bread crumbs and set aside.

Coat the bottom of a 9X13 inch baking dish with the extra virgin olive oil. Distribute the mince garlic over the bottom of the dish. Arrange zucchini slices on the bottom of the dish and season with salt and pepper. Evenly pour 1/3 C of heavy cream and sprinkle with 1/3 C of the mozzarella, 1/3 C of Fontina and 2Tbs of the romano. Sprinkle with 1/3 C of the bread crumbs. Repeat layers, ending with the bread crumbs. Cut the 2 Tbs of butter into 1/2 inch cubes and sprinkle over the top of the dish. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, place the baking dish on top and bake for 40-50 min. until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

_Eileen_