For the best flavor, use freshly made bread crumbs for this dish because they have a much fluffier texture. Place as many slices of white bread as will comfortably fit in the bowl of your food processor, and pulse the bread until crumbly. Any leftover bread crumbs can be placed in a resealable plastic bag and frozen for future use.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　1 1/4 pounds assorted squash, such as Costata Romanesco, patty pan, yellow, green, and black, sliced 1/8 inch thick

　　2 medium ripe tomatoes (1 pound), sliced 1/8 inch thick

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　5 tablespoons homemade or low-sodium store-bought chicken stock

　　Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

　　2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

　　1 cup fresh bread crumbs

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

　　

Step 1

Heat the oven to 350°F. In a 10-inch round gratin dish, arrange the squash slices and tomatoes in an overlapping pattern to fill the dish. Brush the vegetables with olive oil; drizzle the remaining oil on top. Drizzle the chicken stock on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon thyme leaves.

　　

Step 2

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, butter, and remaining thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the bread-crumb mixture on top of the vegetables.

　　

Step 3

Bake until the vegetables are tender and the bread crumbs are golden, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve garnished with thyme sprigs.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.