Provence in Austin, to the best of my abilities

The south of France is my favorite part of the world that I've never visited. When I lived in Paris, the money and the time off from work never seemed to work out in my favor, but there was this one Provencal restaurant that I loved in the 6th arrondissement. They served kirs made with rose liqueur instead of chambord, and the aromas and flavors of lavender, thyme, goat cheese, and olive oil made me forget the cold and rainy weather. Provencal cooking is much more Mediterranean than Northern French cooking, and relies more on fresh veggies and less on cream sauces and meats. The perfect compromise for a vegetarian Francophile.

photo by Andrew Lee Dolan

A couple of weeks ago I was strolling around Whole Foods (it was a Friday, so no market) with no idea of what I wanted to eat besides "seasonal." I came home with some heirloom tomatoes, a couple of eggplants, a bunch of basil, some goat cheese, and a loaf of French bread. What I came up with was this:

Provencal Gratin

2 heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
2 Chinese eggplants, thinly sliced (I prefer using these to the more common Italian eggplants. Their smaller size makes them so much more... buttery.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup goat cheese
1 1/2 cups French bread, cut into cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup sliced basil, reserve some for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375.
Layer the tomato and eggplant in concentric circles around a 9 inch round baking dish.
Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle the garlic over the vegetables.
Cover and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Add about half the bread cubes and the basil, then bake for 10 min. longer, uncovered.
Remove it again, then add the rest of the bread crumbs and the goat cheese. Bake for another 1o min., or until the cheese browns.
Remove one last time. Once the gratin is cool, serve it topped with basil.

I found this to be a pretty complete meal in itself... we just enjoyed it with a bottle of dry rose!