Gratin Pépin of Zucchini and Tomato

This is based on a dish I watched Jacques Pépin do in his wonderful series "Essential Pépin" on PBS. What a wonderful teacher he is and just a 'Bon Vivant'! I modified by adding my hazelnut crumb and sundried tomatoes, which adds a bit of richness to this dish. As Jacques says - "Happy Cooking!"¼ cup hazelnuts
2 cloves garlic
palmful fresh parsley
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large ripe tomatoes, about a pound
2 medium zucchini, about 6-8 inches long
3 large sundried tomatoes (ideally packed in oil) finely diced

Heat oven to 400F. Tip the hazelnuts into an oven-gong pan and toast for 5 minutes, shaking at least once, until the nuts are very fragrant. But be careful not to burn them – they cook quickly.
Meanwhile, slice the zucchini in half to form 2 smaller cylinders. Then slice lengthwise about ¼-inch – you should get 5-6 slices (planks) per cylinder. Core the stem end of the tomatoes and slice them about ¼-inch thick. Depending on the size of the fresh tomatoes, you may need to cut the slices into half moons (that’s what I did in these photos).

Tip the hazelnuts, garlic and parsley into a food processor and process until you have a coarse meal. Tip into a bowl and stir in the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Add the oil and toss together with a fork or your fingers.

Layer the tomatoes and zucchini in an alternating pattern in a 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the veggies. Top with the sundried tomatoes. Sprinkle a dash more olive oil on top if desired. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10-15 minutes, until the veggies are soft and the top is nicely browned.