Over the last week or so, I thought about friends who are somewhat, or totally, vegetarian. A new friend is vegan; had I known that, I would not have served pasta with marinara and pepperoni. My Times editor is a vegetarian, but eats seafood and dairy. My friend Nancy is vegetarian, but eats chicken, seafood and dairy. My other editor in Madison eats healthy, and I think she is more vegetarian than carnivorous. My first boss at Connecticut College was a vegetarian, but didn’t like tomatoes.

I am a carnivore, but I love animals and think people who hunt for fun, including those who like to fish for catch-and-release have a character flaw. I will cook mussels and clams and oysters, but have never boiled a lobster. I, obviously, am a hypocrite.

If I ask people for dinner, and I did not know what they will or will not eat, I will cook for them. I was allergic to lobster and crab but I am not anymore. I have a friend who has celiac disease, and when I find a nice recipe for her, I will make it for her. I also have a few dessert recipes that are gluten-free. I pay little attention to people who do not eat sweets, so Libby doesn’t eat my desserts.

Going through some of my old recipes, I found a vegetable tart recipe that doesn’t even require a crust and, like many of my recipes, is yellowed with age. This Thanksgiving I will be with friends who aren’t picky. After that holiday, I will make this tart for my vegan friend.

Harvest Vegetable Tart

Adapted from Thomas Keller in Ladies’ Home Journal, October 1996

Yield: serves 6

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons minced shallots, divided

3 teaspoons minced, garlic, divided

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon, dried, divided

¼ teaspoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided

8 tablespoons chicken (or vegetable) broth, divided

1 medium eggplant, quartered lengthwise

1 large beefsteak tomato, quartered

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow squash

1 tablespoon chopped nicoise (black) olive (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, peppers, 2 tablespoons shallots and 2 teaspoons garlic; cook until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in half the thyme plus 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Brush bottom a 12-inch deep-dish pizza pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Combine 2 tablespoons broth, remaining shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in cup. Sprinkle over mixture in pan.

Cut eggplant, tomato, zucchini and yellow squash into 1/3 inch-thick slices. Beginning in the center of the pan, arrange vegetables in overlapping circles, equally distributing them over pan.

Sprinkle tart with onion-pepper mixture. Combining remaining broth and broth and oil in a cup and drizzle over top; sprinkle with olives, if using.

Cover tart and bake 45 minutes; uncover and bake 35 minutes more, or until vegetables are tender; cool 15 minutes. Drain any liquid into glass measure. Invert into a platter, drizzled with reserved liquid. Cut into six wedges. (This would be delicious at room temperature , too.)

Lee White lives in Groton and can be reached at leeawhite@aol.com.