This is a layered affair.  If you aren’t familiar with Lebanese 7-Spice or Baharat, you might want to wander into a Middle Eastern market and pick some up.  This blend uses the “sweet” spices, like allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, etc.  But, it’s wonderful in savory dishes.  It lends itself particularly well to lamb and as it turns out, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes.  Can you tell it’s summer and there’s a farmer’s market near us?  I love these veggies anytime of the year, but when there’s an abundance in summer, I like to wander into the different ethnic flavors.  You can purchase the 7-spice blend in any decent Middle Eastern market, or go ahead and make your own.  You can find a recipe here, here and bonus time–you get several different versions here.  These are all interesting blogs and you should check out their other recipes, too.  As you can see, they’re all a bit different, which is as it should be, since every family/cook would have their own version, much like curry powders in India.

This goes together in a breeze.  I like to use a cast iron skillet, but feel free to use a casserole, preferably not glass.

Oil the pan and start layering—eggplant, salt, minced or chopped garlic, zucchini, 7-spice, salt, onions and peppers, canned diced tomatoes (or sliced garden tomatoes), 7-spice.  Drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil.  Bake at 400°F for 40-50 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the mixture is bubbly.  You can eat this hot, at room temperature or cold.  You can sprinkle some feta cheese over the dish and/or serve it with some plain Greek-style yogurt.  But just as is, is positively yummy.  This reheats incredible well (I think it’s better!) and it keeps incredibly well, but you won’t have it around that long!