Like many central Ohioans, I grew up with a pan of Johnny Marzetti on every church potluck spread. The concoction of elbow pasta, meaty tomato sauce, and cheese held little appeal to me but I do recall it being a favorite of many others. When John of Jarsloth approached a group of Columbus bloggers to write about this cowtown classic, I aimed to create a homegrown and local version. That mine happens to contain far less fat and more vitamins than the original is a bonus to the exciting flavors.

My backyard Johnny Marzetti contains everything I could harvest from the backyard garden today: peppers, pattypan squash, chard, parsley and thyme. Precooked elbow macaroni (not at all local because I do like the Barilla brand and do not have a pasta extruder) and the vegetables are smothered in home canned tomato sauce and topped with cheddar cheese. After a quick bake, my local 'zetti, or one you make with the following ratio recipe, would be right at home on a modern potluck table.

[print_this]Johnny Marzetti Ratio Recipe feeds four

1/2 # elbow macaroni, cooked to al dente and drained 3 cups diced vegetables and/or ground meat, seasoned and cooked 2.5 cups tomato sauce 1 cup shredded cheese

1. Combine macaroni, vegetables, meat, and tomato sauce in an oven-proof pan, such as a 8x8 glass pan or 12 inch slope-sided cast iron skillet. 2. Top with shredded cheese. 3. Place in a cool oven (if using a glass pan) and turn on to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top browns. [/print_this]

Post Script: As our dog-who-eats-everything is wont to do, Devie scaled the counter and mawed on the Marzetti before it went in the oven. Bad dog! Like a good homesteader with limited time and a family to feed, I simply topped with more cheese and baked a bit longer than usual. You might notice the missing volume in the pre- vs post- baked pictures.

For more reflections on Johnny Marzetti according to local food bloggers, check out John's post Respect the Marzetti, Andreas's flavor packed update and Debra's South Texas style. Marzetti with locally sourced ingredients is planned for the menu at the 2012 OEFFA conference and the subject of an article in an upcoming Columbus Crave magazine.

Vegetables covered in creamy cheesy sauce with a crispy crust? Yes please! A gratin is a surefire way to please your family with vegetables. When you make the dish yourself, you can adjust the recipe to your family's taste and health preferences. And though a gratin recipe seems complicated at first, after making one a few times you'll find the process simple.

Potatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli all cook down nicely in a gratin. Start the recipe by chopping these to size - slice potatoes and cabbage or chunk cauliflower and broccoli into bite sized pieces. Arrange them in a glass or ceramic baking dish. Stir in some shredded cheddar, swiss, or roquefort for a cheesy version.

Make a roux by melting butter or oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Add an amount of flour equal to 1/3 more than the fat and cook until the flour is slightly browned and smells cooked. Slowly pour in warm milk (to make a bechamel sauce) or stock (for a veloute sauce) and heat just below simmer until thickened.

Season with salt, pepper, and spices as you desire. A hint of nutmeg pairs nicely with a milk based sauce. Herbs or spicy peppers are delightful in a stock based sauce.

Pour the sauce over the vegetables, stirring gently to cover.

Top with shredded cheese, bread crumbs, panko, or crushed potato chips. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-60 minutes (depending on depth of the gratin) until bubbling in the center and brown on top.

Pictured is a shallow cabbage gratin I made recently to pair with homemade sausages. Try it as a twist on traditional cabbage preparations for St. Patrick's day dinner or as a way to dress up a vegetable side dish with any meal.

Vegetable Gratin in Ratio Form

roux and sauce ratio from the book Ratio by Michael Ruhlman

A gratin can take on many forms based on the ingredients you have on hand and the outcome you desire. The ratios below are approximate. Adjust according to how thick you want the sauce and how saucy you want the finished gratin.

For the roux: 3 parts flour to 2 parts fat (butter or oil)

For the thickened sauce: 1 part roux to 10 parts liquid (stock or milk)

For the gratin: 6 parts chopped vegetables to 3 parts thickened sauce (milk-based bechamel or stock-based veloute) to 1 part cheese

[amd-recipeseo-recipe:1] Talk to me about the recipes on this blog - do you like the ratio recipe, the first listed? For the second recipe, I skipped the printable version in favor of a Google Recipe View friendly version. Do you miss the print function?