We are now deep into what feels like the longest five-weekend August ever, which means it is eggplant and tomato season. Every year I forget just how much produce that actually means. Last week the CSA suggested I take 10 tomatoes for my little share. As for the eggplant, I can’t help but go overboard, but in the nicest way possible.

With my counter and fridge overflowing with this bounty, it was time for something I hadn’t tried before. I sifted through about 15 of my 300 or so cookbooks and came across this eggplant gratin from Melissa Clark’s “Dinner.” She is one of my favorite food writers; I own half a dozen of her cookbooks, and they never miss.

The recipe sounded pretty simple: Toss slices of eggplant and tomatoes with a little lemon zest, thyme, olive oil, salt, and garlic (I use garlic-infused olive oil from Trader Joe’s to stay low Fodmap), and layer it all in a gratin dish with plops of goat cheese in between. (Honestly, I used much more goat cheese than Clark calls for.) To finish, sprinkle some Panko breadcrumbs (I store them in the freezer) on top and a little more olive oil and salt.

Not only did it sound easy to make, it sounded delicious. Reader, it was a delight. The dish is baked in a hot hot oven for about 45 minutes to an hour, and the result was creamy, soft, and luxurious. Silky, even.

I served it for company one night and it really was the star of the table. I recommend trying this one while all the produce is seasonal; it just tastes better. Lucky for us here in western Mass, I can find fresh eggplants and tomatoes into October. I suggest you do, too!

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds eggplant, sliced into thin rounds

1 pound tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds

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Finely grated zest of half a lemon

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 garlic clove, grated on a microplane or minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

At least 4 ounces soft goat cheese, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup panko or other bread crumbs

Directions:

Heat the oven to 400F.

In a large bowl, combine the eggplant, tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme leaves, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste, and the quarter cup of olive oil. Toss together.

Arrange the vegetables in layers in a gratin dish, dropping in pieces of the goat cheese as you go. Make sure to end with a layer of vegetables; you want the goat cheese to be underneath, not on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the panko, drizzle generously with additional olive oil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the dish to the oven and bake until the gratin is tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Molly Parr lives in Florence with her husband and two young daughters. She’s been writing her food blog, Cheap Beets, since 2010. Send questions or comments to molly.parr@gmail.com.