The other day I went to a boules party. You probably remember how I love playing this lawn game. It’s like bocce, but with large stainless steel balls that we throw at little wooden balls and the other stainless steel balls.

Other essentials for the game include great friends, wine, and incredible food. At this recent party, all were available in abundance.

We don’t usually have a theme, but in this case it was Italian food. In attendance were chef Michel Nischan and his sprightly wife, Lori, along with six other chefs from New York City, including restaurant chef Rocco DiSpirito who has written many cookbooks. He also starred in The Restaurant reality show some years ago.

After hors d’oeuvre, dinner began with a classic, delicious meatballs in red sauce created by our own member, John Murphy. Despite his last name, it turns he is about four percent Irish and 96 percent Italian. That was followed by a yummy risotto. I was full after eating those two, but there was so much more to feast upon, and so I did. There were all kinds of bread, grass-fed beef, and perfectly roasted vegetables. The finale included Italian ices and Italian cookies.

It was all quite fabulous, but oh, my, my, my, the vegetables. After feasting on what we had there, my friends loaded me up with garden fresh vegetables before I headed home.

As I drove home, I thought about the best gratin I ever made. Here is a version of that. It can be your go-to side dish for the rest of the season. I have served leftovers at room temperature but, truth be told, there is rarely anything left over the next day.

Summer Vegetable Gratins with Intense Flavor

By Susie Middleton, Fine Cooking, Issue 33

Yield: Serves 8 to 10 as a side dish

To read Middleton’s complete directions, visit www.finecooking.com. Here are some of my notes, observations, and directions.

Use a gratin pan that is at least 8-inch by 11-inch such as a Pyrex pan or something pretty that is at least two inches high. Use the very best fresh vegetables, the best cheese, and the best olive oil.

To customize your gratin, choose all sizes and colors of tomatoes, zucchini, small eggplant, sliced potatoes. Slice all of these on the bias, with each slice about 1/4-inch thick, so that they cook evenly. If you are using either eggplant or potatoes or both, parboil those. After you slice the tomatoes, let them drain off their juices. Toss the zucchini with olive oil.

Choose parmigiana Reggiano, feta, goat cheese, Gruyere, mozzarella, or fontina, or a combination.

Use whatever herbs you like: thyme, oregano, rosemary, basil, mint, savory or parsley.

Susie likes to use caramelized onions for the first layer. Spread onions in one tin layer in the dish.

Then, arrange a row of vegetables, slightly overlapping. Prop up the row at a 60-inch angle. Sprinkle with cheese. Do the same with each layer. Top the finished gratin with a drizzle of olive oil, a good covering of breadcrumbs and more cheese.

Cook until gratin is well browned and greatly reduced in volume. Most gratins cook in about an hour and ten minutes in a 375 degree oven. A rule of thumb: after a few minutes in the oven, gratins begin to bubble as the veggies release moisture. Bubbling becomes quite vigorous and, as the vegetables juices reduce, the bubbling lessens. At the end, much of the vegetables will have shrunk and pulled away from the sides of the pan.

Let the whole dish rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. If there is extra, refrigerate.