Fresh from the garden - Eggplant parmesan

What a great season this has been for many gardeners here in the northeast. We were lucky side stepping a bit of blight that only a few witnessed this year, as opposed to last summer. What a nightmare! This week I harvested the rest of my ripened tomatoes, many eggplants and far too many peppers. So I have been busy roasting tray after trayful of yummy roma's. The rest of the tomatoes were canned, or frozen--or went into sauce and some even into jams.

With this last basketful of assorted tomatoes,herbs and veggies, I prepared a pot of chili and then  last night, one of my favorite eggplant dishes...eggplant parmesan. Now all I have left to put up is my annual piccalilli and I won't even have to go out and buy  green tomatoes this year :+) 

Eggplant Parmesan

3 medium sized eggplants
1 cup flour
3 eggs, beaten
3cups Italian bread crumbs
olive oil for sauteing
marinara sauce (recipe follows)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese


1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pounds of mozzarella cheese,shredded
2 cups of ricotta cheese

After rinsing the eggplant, slice them into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a layer of paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt, then cover with another layer of paper towels and hold it down with something heavy to drain the excess moisture. Let them sit for about a half hour.

Take one slice of eggplant at a time, dust with flour, dip in beaten eggs, then coat well with breadcrumbs.Saute in preheated olive oil on both sides until golden brown.

In your baking dish, alternate layers of marinara sauce, eggplant slices, ricotta, parmesan and Romano cheeses, until you almost fill the baking dish. Cover with shredded mozzarella cheese, and bake for 25 minutes covered,in a 375 degree oven. Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Marinara Sauce

2 TBLS chopped garlic
3 TBLS olive oil
6 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 cup fresh basil, chopped fine
pinch of thyme, savory & rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sea salt
One tsp white pepper
pinch of sugar

Lightly saute the onions in olive oil in large pot for a few minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute. Add the wine with the tomatoes and bring sauce just to a light boil, then turn heat to low.
Add remaining seasonings and herbs, cover and let simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.

Eggplant Lasagna

There is something about fresh eggplant that is so appealing to me. I'm not sure if it's all the colorful varieties and various shapes that draws me in, but I seldom won't pick up a few whenever I shop. The deep shiny plum hooks me every time! It's just a gorgeous vegetable.

I picked up this weeks eggplant with the intention of making eggplant haystacks, but once I returned home from the market realized I had forgotten to pick up a few more necessary ingredients, so instead I decided on eggplant lasagna instead. An easy dish to prepare, fewer carbs, omitting traditional lasagna noodles and just plain delicious!



2 eggplants
seasoned bread crumbs
flour
1 egg
milk
olive oil
30 oz ricotta cheese
3 tsp pecorino cheese
1 egg
1 cup fresh spinach
sea salt, pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley
marinara sauce
Italian sausage, cooked & sliced (opt)
mozzarella shreds



Frying the eggplant:
· Slice eggplant and dredge in seasoned flour.
· Dip into egg wash made of egg and a little milk
· Now dredge into seasoned bread crumbs
· Fry the crumbed eggplant slices in good olive oil until golden brown.. then drain on paper towels

As you are frying the eggplant, warm up the marinara sauce & prepare the ricotta filling

Ricotta filling:
· 30 oz Ricotta cheese
· 3 tsp grated pecorino cheese
· 1 egg
· 1 cup fresh spinach, torn
· salt, pepper, fresh parsley

Mix all together until creamed well. * Save any leftover cheese mixture and add it into your morning omelet.

To Assemble:
Pour a ladleful of sauce to the bottom of baking dish. Place fried eggplant slices, slightly overlapping one another to cover bottom of your dish. Add a layer of ricotta mixture and sliced sausage if desired. Spoon a bit of sauce over all and repeat the steps. When your layers are completed, top with a bit more sauce and sprinkle mozzarella cheese over all.
Pop the dish into a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes uncovered. Allow it to set 10 minutes before serving. Serve with a nice garden salad. Enjoy!