Summer Vegetable Bread Pudding
Bread pudding isn’t just for dessert – you can make a savory bread pudding with your summer veggie and egg shares. Feel free to substitute other ingredients, herbs, or cheeses, depending on what you have available. Works great as a brunch dish that serves 8-12.
Ingredients:
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, quartered and sliced
2 teaspoons salt
5 large eggs
3½ cups milk
12 cups dried bread cubes (or about 1¼ to 1½ baguette, diced)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 leek, white and tender green parts only, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 carrot, grated
½ pound Fontina, Cheddar or Swiss cheese, grated (about 2 cups packed)
2 sprigs fresh sage, finely chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme, finely chopped
½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
Freshly ground black pepper
Procedure:
- Combine the zucchini and tomato with the salt in a colander and set aside to drain for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Lightly grease a 9 or 10 inch spring form pan (or lasagna pan) with butter.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the bread cubes and let soak while you cook the veggies.
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, leek, and bell pepper, then sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini, tomato, and carrot, then sauté until all the veggies are tender, about 3 minutes longer.
- Add the veggies, cheese, sage, thyme, and lemon zest to the bread cube mixture and gently toss. Season generously with pepper, and mix well.
- Pack the mixture in the prepared pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, until the top is crusty brown and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. If the pudding begins to look dark before it’s finished, cover with foil.
- Let cool before serving. If you want to serve the pudding in firm slices, cool overnight in the fridge and reheat or serve at room temperature.
