Baked Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

• 3 cups courgettes, sliced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 cobs corn- cut corn from the cobs
• 3 tomatoes, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups cottage cheese*
• 3/4 cup wholegrain bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup wheatgerm
• 2 tablespoons parsley, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter/margarine
• 3 oz cheese, cut in thin strips (optional could be replaced with a breadcrumb mixture or alternative topping)

Method

1. Place courgettes in a colander. Toss with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and let stand for approximately 15 minutes to extract liquid. Press to extract moisture then pat dry with a paper towel.
2. While the courgettes are standing, mix the cottage cheese, breadcrumbs, wheatgerm, basil, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
3. Grease  a shallow oven-proof dish and cover the bottom with the courgettes.
4. Top with half of the cottage cheese mixture. Cover with corn, then the remaining cottage cheese mixture and top with the sliced tomatoes.
5. Dot with margarine and arrange the cheese strips lattice fashion over top.
6. Bake 30 minutes until vegetables are tender.
7. Let cool for ten minutes before serving- it is even better lukewarm than hot straight from the oven.

* Remember to check for rennet-free cottage cheese