What to do with an over abundance of veggies!!

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I just can’t resist buying veggies this time of year, I’m happy when my frig is stocked full of them, but I think I went a little overboard this past week! Knowing I had a busy week and weekend ahead I knew I had to cook these up, so I decided to fire up my grill.

I call this a Grilled Vegetable Torte, it’s so easy to prepare, it has a WOW presentation, and it goes fantastic with grilled meats. After grilling your veggies, which have all been brushed with olive oil, salt and pepper, layer them into an oiled spring form pan, any size will do it just depends how many veggies you have.

Each layer a different color, a different veg that is topped off with shredded parm or in this case pecorino romano, you might want to put a few basil leaves in between too. Repeat untill you get to the top. Press veggies down.

Cover and wrap the bottom of your pan with foil and place on a baking sheet in a 400F oven.
Bake for about a half hour, giving it enough time to melt the cheese which acts like “glue” and holds the veggies together when you slice it. Let it cool, unmold and eat it at room temperature. Garnish with shredded romano or your favorite cheese on top.

Don’t cut your veggies into small pieces, you’ll want to cut them into nice big slices it’s easier to layer that way.

Believe me it cuts into perfect wedges, just use a sharp serrated knife and take your time, pulling it out with a pie spatula. I would have showed you a wedge but I took this whole thing to a friends house for lunch, minus my camera.

Adding some grilled veggies and ripe tomatoes to orzo pasta along with fresh herbs and grilled shrimp tossed in a fresh lemon and olive oil dressing, makes this a light summer pasta salad.

Tomato Bread, this has great flavor and goes with just about anything! Take a good quality baguette, and scoop out a well down the middle, stick in some grape tomatoes, drizzle with olive oil, and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven till tomatoes are soft around 30 min. When the tomatoes pop the juice runs into the bread and flavors it. Garnish with fresh basil.
Hope these ideas help you out a little in using up any of your veggies you have laying around!
Buon Appetito!!

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Comments

  1. Such delicious looking food. LOVE the grilled veggie tort…okay, and the pasta. And yep. The tomato bread. When are you cooking again….? YUM!

  2. amazing.
    that is all i can say!

  3. Yum! Those are some darn fine looking recipes. I love grilled veggies (but haven’t made many this summer for some reason) so the top pic really got my cravings going.

  4. Very clever- I love the idea! MMMMM!
    xo

  5. So interesting and delicious, I would love for you to send this grilled vegetable pasta salad to the ONE DISH MEAL- salad event that I am hosting. The rules for the event is in my site and it fits the rules perfectly. 🙂

  6. such a great way to use a veggie!!!

    -DTW
    http://www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

  7. As always I just love everything you cook!!!

  8. great selections! soup would work too!

  9. I really like roasting vegetables and that stack looks good!

  10. Thank you. That did help. I don’t have one of these, but I understand what it is now.

  11. Simply beautiful! I love vegetables and this looks like a winner.

  12. Oh, Well DONE!!!
    I didn’t buy too many at the market… But a friend who planted too many helped out!
    I’ll have to sort out how to do it without the spring-form pan, tho…. May not be as pretty…

  13. I took one look at the torte and though – that must have taken forever to put together – then you explained the use of the springform pan. You are genius! The orzo looks delicious as well!

  14. Looks and sounds great Marie!

  15. There’s a lot of great things going on here–the veggies are simply prepared so they still get to have their own unique flavors and the presentation makes them just look beautiful. Very nice work!

  16. OH my goodness! That torta looks incredible…all those delectible grilled veggies towering on the plate…and I think I may have tried to lick my computer screen when I saw those tomato baguettes. Good Lord!

  17. I LOVE the torte. It’s so pretty, and deceptively simple. Am definitely going to borrow this. Thanks!

  18. This certainly does have the WOW factor going on:D

  19. Marie, All is really wonderful!!! look so nice I love the color (I want arrive the summer soon now….) really bello, xxGloria

  20. What perfect ways to use up those veggis! All of your dishes are so pretty and colorful and look oh so tasty!

  21. Seriously, I just had lunch and this is making me hungry…

    PS – your daughter’s comment is lol.

  22. prouditaliandaughter says

    A friends house? Why not your daughters house? 🙂

  23. Gorgeous displays of creativity! I don’t need loads of veggies lying around-I’d make a trip to the store for recipes like these.

  24. Wow! Spectacular.This is awesome.

  25. I am coming over for eggplant parmesan! My favorite thing in the world!
    The orzo looks beautiful, I love it with roasted tomatoes. Great idea to add shrimp!
    Thanks for the great ideas!

  26. Everything looks so fabulous and healthy, Marie!

    I love the idea of layering the grilled vegetables in a spring form pan. Did you ever put mozarella cheese between the layers?

    I bought too much fresh fruit at Costco this weekend and ended up making 3 fruit tarts. Everything just looks so good this time of the year! 🙂

  27. Looks amazing, this is just the thing for this time of year. That or eating out!

  28. WOW is right Marie! The colours are fantastic, love that tomato bread.keep me some:)

  29. Hi Judy Thanks, I hope you try it!

    Ohio, Thanks! I don’t want to even think about winter, I’m with you about the palate memory.

    Hi Hannah, Welcome, and Thank you!

    WANF, Thank you and I totally agree!

    Rebeccac, Welcome! And good for you about the CSA program you have.

    Deeba, I would say that new picture of you is stlish!:)

    Lori Lynn, Can’t wait to see what you come up with! Remember, all the veggies were grilled the springform pan was just used to mold them, and just to melt the cheese a little.

    Megan, Anytime let me know when you’re coming!

    Nicole, Hi and thanks.

    Thank you Ben!

    Aggie, The tomato bread is so good, I think you’ll like it.

    Jen, Wow! You’ve been a busy girl! It all sounds great.

  30. That tart is both gorgeous and delicious (at least the versions I’ve tried)!

    We get a farm share on Wednesdays, and I’ve spent my morning blanching and freezing kale, making a blueberry/peach cobbler, borsch, cucumber salad and prepping a summer squash gratin for tonight.

    Yum!

  31. I’ll take one of each please!! I tend to go overboard on the veggies too, they are so hard to resist! Great ideas! Everything looks delicious but I’m so craving that tomato bread right now!

  32. All I can say is WOW! I love the colors. it is so summer(ish) I love your new header as well.

  33. That first photo is soooo gorgeous! I love it. It all looks amazing.

  34. That Torte is beautifull. Iwant to come to your house for lunch. 🙂

  35. Beautiful Marie! I love all the colors!

    You have such great ideas when it comes to tomatoes. A friend just brought me a bag of homegrown from her garden. I am going to try to grill some of them, like you had suggested.

    And cooking the veggies in a spring form, woman, you are a genius!

  36. You seem to bring out the best in veggies Marie…& present them in style! Delicious!

  37. Wow! This is amazing! I’ll have to try this soon. I joined a CSA program this year and have a regular influx of veggies to use, so this will definitely come in handy. Your photography is gorgeous!

  38. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL! a stunning presentation. who can believe it’s healthy too! what a beauty. man, i just love all these amazing vegetables available this time of year.

  39. Yummy! All your recipes look wonderful!

  40. I love this time of the year, and like you, don’t seem to be able to pass up all the wonderful veggies and fruits available. It is like I have to eat them constantly to store up my palate memory for the cold months ahead 🙂

    Love thelayered torte and pasta salad!

  41. I LOVE what you have done with these vegetables! The veggie torte has me drooling. Can’t wait to try it!

  42. Thank you Nina, I consider that a big complement coming from you!

    Knitting, I actually had 4 eggplants I cooked up that day also, but I made some eggplant parmaesan with it. I have made this torte many times with eggplant, it layers really nice!

    You’re awesome Susan!!

    Hi Kathy, It’s amazing how many veggies you can pack down in a 10″ springform pan, you can feed a ton of people, it’s great for a party! Hope you get to try it!

    Laurie, Si!!!Next time I’m in California I would love to take a tour with you, and we could both cook up a storm together! 🙂

    Rowena, I totally have a veggie weekness!! You’re right!

    Casalba, I use a springform pan, it’s the kind of pan you would use to make a cheesecake, it has a hinge on the side and the bottom releases. The juices come from normal moisture from the veggies after grilling them. When you weigh the torte down some of the juice’s will leak out, no problem,just discard. Hope this helps.

    Paula, I’d be happy to feed you, come on by, and bring the family!!

    Jo, Yes, we shared this many times together,oh how I’m going to miss my grilling when winter comes!! You won’t catch me standing out there grilling veggies at 20 degrees, brrrr!!!

  43. I was just thinking the other day, am I the only one who goes overboard on vegies. Geez, you wait all winter and wow there is an abundance and I just cant help myself. Food hoarder that I am.

    This is a fantastic idea for what to do with it all. Good thinking!

  44. wow, those veggies look good! The best part of summer is the abundance of cheap, fresh vegetables (and fruit, too) I can attest that the veggies in the springform pan are really delish as I believe I have had them at your house several times.

  45. I’m literally speechless. Wow, Wow, WOW! That torte it’s .. it’s … it’s Amazing! And that orzo pasta with veggies, shrimp, and lemon/olive oil dressing? Sign me up right now for a serving. And the bread! I feel faint. All these items are outstanding. Feed Me. Please.

  46. The vegetable torte certainly is a ‘wow’. I really want to try this, not just because it looks so fresh, but also because you can prepare it in advance.

    (Sorry for being a dork, but I don’t understand the pan you used and how the juices come out.)

  47. Some people have a shoe fix, a bag fix, or even a I-gotta-have-one-of-each-color fix. But you, you have a veggie weakness. Of the four, I think yours is best. Pass the balsamico please!

  48. You know you are the reigning tomato queen don’t you Marie!! 🙂 And to boot, no one prepares veggies like you do. You make such good use of your grill! This torte is amazing and I can just imagine the smell of this and the tomato bread! Please visit me next time your in California.. I’ll give you a tour of the Southern Cal. vineyards and you can cook on my grill!! 🙂 Sì?? 🙂 :

  49. Hi Marie, Your Veggie Torte looks delicious and so elegant, orzo salad is my fave I will add veggie and shrimp next time and your tomatoe bread will now be my fave too. great ways to use up veggies and good for you too. Kathy.

  50. I didn’t think grilled vegetables could get any better until I saw your torte. It’s downright awesome, Marie!

  51. Great ideas!!! Love the tomato bread idea…well all of it looks so delicious!!!

    I see so many of my fav grilled veggies in your torte, do I see eggplant tucked in there? Yum

  52. Geepiz, greepiz, you have just made my jaw drop a few inches!!!! This is so beautiful, I can just imagine a slice on my plate.

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