Savory Vegetable Cheesecake

This delicious main-dish cheesecake comes from Mollie Katzen's "The Enchanted Broccoli Forest," which is a delightful vegetarian cookbook. A wonderful way to use us those garden veggies. It is also wonderful served as an appetizer that guests can spread onto little pieces of toast.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 3  cups  grated zucchini
• 3  tablespoons butter
• 1  cup  minced onion
• 3  cloves garlic, crushed
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1  cup  grated carrot
• 3  tablespoons flour
• 1⁄2 teaspoon basil
• 1⁄2 teaspoon oregano
• 1⁄4 cup  freshly minced parsley
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
• 3  cups ricotta cheese
• 1  cup  grated mozzarella cheese
• 1⁄2 cup  grated parmesan cheese (please use fresh)
• 4  large eggs
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 2  medium tomatoes, sliced into rounds,then sliced in half so the slices look like the letter d
• 3 -4  tablespoons  breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
2. Butter a 10" springform pan and sprinkle with breadcrumbs, set aside.
3. Put the grated zucchini into a colander.
4. Salt lightly, and let is sit about 15 minutes, then squeeze out any excess moisture.
5. Saute the onions in butter with 1/2 t salt.
6. When they start to turn translucent, add the carrots, garlic, zucchini, flour, basil and oregano.
7. Keep stirring and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and stir in the parsley and lemon.
9. Beat the cheeses and eggs together until well blended.
10. (Hello, Kitchenaid mixer!) When the cheese and egg mixture is nice and fluffy, fold in the veggies.
11. Season to taste with black pepper.
12. Pour the mixture into the springform pan.
13. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes-- then pull it out for a minute.
14. Remember those tomatoes?
15. Dredge them in the breadcrumbs and decorate the top of the cheesecake with them in a pretty spiral pattern.
16. Reduce the oven heat to 350 degrees, and bake another 30 minutes.
17. Turn off the oven and just let the cheesecake sit in there for another 15 minutes.
18. Then, take it out of the oven and let it cool about 10 more minutes before cutting and serving.