A Late Summer Lasagne of Sorts

method:

• To make the Aubergines & Roast Tomatoes for Everything, heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Place the tomatoes cut sides upwards on a large baking tray. Add the aubergine slices and scatter over the garlic cloves. Sprinkle in the fennel seeds and chilli flakes and tear over the rosemary leaves. Trickle everything with the olive oil and season really well with salt and pepper. Roast the vegetables for 1 hour 20 minutes, carefully stirring once or twice, without breaking up the tomatoes too much, until the tomatoes are soft and blistered and the aubergine is lovely and golden, and crisp around the edges. Scatter the herbs over the roasted vegetables.
• To make the lasagne, heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Make the white sauce: put the milk, bay, onion, celery and peppercorns in a pan. When the mixture starts to simmer, remove the pan from the heat and set aside to infuse.
• Heat the butter in a medium heavy-based pan. Scatter over the flour and, using a wooden spoon, work it into the butter. Cook gently, stirring regularly, for one minute. Set a sieve over the pan and pour in half the infused milk. Remove the sieve and work the milk into the butter and flour mixture. Once it thickens, replace the sieve and pour in the remaining milk, then remove the sieve again and beat the sauce with a whisk to a thick, smooth consistency. Add all but a handful of the grated cheese and season with plenty of salt and pepper. Stir well.
• Prepare a suitably sized baking dish or roasting tray – about 25cm (10in) square or something like that. Arrange one-third of the roast aubergines and tomatoes over the base of the dish. Lay half the courgette slices over the aubergine and tomatoes in a single layer. Sprinkle with a little salt and a twist of black pepper and trickle with half the olive oil. Spoon over half of the white sauce. Repeat, arranging another third of the tomatoes and aubergine, followed by the remaining courgette slices and oil, followed by the second half of the white sauce. Arrange the last of the roast vegetables over the top and scatter over the remaining cheese.
• Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling and the top is golden and delicious-looking. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving with a green salad and some good bread.