Vegetables-Cheese Casserole (Le Gratin Provencal)

1 large eggplant
2 medium-ze zucchini
2 medium-size onions
4 tomatoes
Boiling salted water
4 tablespoons olive oil
Grated Cheese
(Optional) cracker crumbs
(Optional) butter

Peel, slice and salt a large eggplant, and set it aside to drain. Meanwhile, peel and slice the zucchini, and peel and mince the onions. Peel, seed, and cut the tomatoes in thick slices.

When the eggplant slices have griven up some of their juices, dry the slices and blanch them, along with the sliced zucchine, for 3 or 4 minutes in rapidly boiling, salted water. Drain thoroughly.

Cook the minced onion lightly in 3 tablespoons olive oil. Put a layer of this onion in the bottom of an earthenware dish, a layer of zucchini over it, then a layer of the tomato slices, then of the eggplant. Salt and pepper these, and strew with grated cheese. Repeat the process until all the vegetables are neatly nested. At this point tilt out excess juices, if any, and broil them over brisk heat until reduced to about 1/4 cup. Pour this back over the vegetables in teh casserole, and top all with a final flourish of grated cheese. Sprinkle with olive oil and bake in a preheated 350-degrees oven for about 30 minutes.