Sara Bradley, a finalist on the 16th season of Bravo’s Top Chef, is the chef and proprietor of the Freight House restaurant in Paducah. Offering traditional Southern cuisine with a modern twist, the Freight House uses the freshest locally sourced ingredients to create innovative dishes in the manner in which they were intended to be served—in season.
Yields: 10- x 12-inch casserole
This light casserole is a take on the dish known as byaldi, a variation on the traditional French ratatouille, with a Southern twist. The pure and simple flavor showcases classic ingredients, but it’s much healthier than more traditional Southern casseroles.
Ingredients
2 pounds yellow squash
2 pounds yellow zucchini
2 pounds green zucchini
1 pound Roma tomatoes
Piperade (recipe below)
3 sprigs thyme
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
Arugula, goat cheese, red onion and sautéed red pepper slices for garnish
1. Slice all the vegetables about ¼ inch thick—a mandoline slicer works well for this. The consistency of the vegetables is important, as you’ll want them to cook at the same speed. The closer they are to the same size, the better.
2. Spoon the piperade vegetables into the bottom of a 10- by 12-inch casserole dish and sprinkle thyme over them.
3. Shingle the sliced squash, zucchini and tomatoes in an alternating pattern on top of the piperade until all are used up or there is no more room. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle olive oil over the top.
4. Wrap the dish tightly in foil and bake for 30 minutes in a 325-degree oven. Remove foil and gently press squash and tomatoes into their own juices. Re-cover and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes. The squash and tomatoes should look fully cooked.
5. Garnish with arugula, goat cheese, red onion and sautéed red pepper slices.
Piperade
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced (I prefer sweet onions)
1 head fennel, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon salt
In a large sauté pan, cook all of the vegetables and salt in the olive oil, over medium heat, until translucent.