Michael Campbell and Paul McKittrick have been making versions of this grilled Summer Vegetable Torte for decades featuring eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers. They gave this one a bit of a New Mexican twist by including some red and green chiles. The guys use a sprinkling of Herb de Poblanos, from the Ranchos de Albuquerque Los Poblanos Farm Store, too.
Meet the Chefs Behind This Summer Vegetable Torte
My Tesuque neighbors Michael and Paul are longtime partners in life as well as in their Docufilms business. They turned their attentions to making films for nonprofit organizations about 20 years ago, after both retired from advertising careers in New York. They decamped from New York about a decade ago with their little dog, Fergus. Both love cooking.
Michael’s earliest memories of food come from his Italian grandmother. Paul learned to cook out of necessity when he got his first New York apartment. His mother gifted him a book called Simple Meals Men Love, which she acquired by saving Betty Crocker cake mix box-top coupons. Husband Michael can attest to the success of the recipes.
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Summer Vegetable Torte
- Yield: Serves 8
Description
Featuring all your favorite summer vegetables like eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, and peppers.
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant, cut in ¼-inch slices
- 2 russet potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch slices
- 3 medium zucchini or yellow squash, cut lengthwise into ¼-inch slices
- 2 portobello mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 2 red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, cored and cut in ¼-inch slices
- Olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Herbes de Poblanos (see headnote), optional
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- ¼ cup red chile sauce or puree, or red enchilada sauce
- 5 large New Mexican green chiles, roasted and peeled
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut in ¼-inch slices
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 tbsp butter
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. Brush eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms and bell pepper slices with oil. Grill vegetables on both sides until soft and lightly marked from the grill, about 6-8 minutes total. Remove each as it is ready.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with more of the oil. Layer the eggplant slices across the bottom of the pan, sprinkling with a bit of salt and pepper, optional Herbes de Poblanos, garlic, and a couple of teaspoons of the red chile puree. Layer the potatoes, followed by the zucchini, mushrooms, and bell peppers, sprinkling each layer with a bit more of the salt and pepper, garlic, and red chile puree. Cut off the stem of each green chile and then slice down one side, remove seeds, and open like a book. Top the torte with the chiles. With a spatula, press down on the torte evenly to compact it. Scatter with the tomatoes and Parmesan.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet. Toast the breadcrumbs in the butter over medium heat. When breadcrumbs are golden, sprinkle them over the dish. Drizzle the surface with about 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Bake the torte for 25-30 minutes, long enough to heat through and blend the flavors. Let sit for 5-10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the springform pan, then remove the sides of the pan. Scatter basil over the torte. Cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing into wedges with a serrated knife. The torte can be served warm or at room temperature.
Recipe by Michael Campbell and Paul McKittrick
Story by Cheryl Alters Jamison
Photography by Tira Howard
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