Provençal Summer Vegetables



4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 cups thinly sliced leeks, rinsed and well drained
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 large tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 small summer squash or zucchini, sliced diagonally 1/4 inch thick
1 small eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/3 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Add wine and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer the mixture to a shallow 2-quart baking dish.
3. Layer tomatoes, summer squash (or zucchini) and eggplant slices in an alternating shingle pattern over the leek mixture (they will overlap quite a bit). If you have extra vegetable slices, save them for another use. Sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.
4. Bake the vegetables for 1 1/4 hours. Sprinkle cheese and marjoram over the top. Continue baking until the edges are browned and the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes more. Let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.