It’s that time of year, when my garden has produced just about all it’s going to. Some leaves and stems are already wilting and yellowing.
We’ve been feasting on tomatoes and eggplants.
I’ve made my annual hoard of pepper jam.
I’ll make tomato chutney with some of the dark green tomatoes (and let the ones that have a vague pink color ripen on the vine for a few days).
Last night I made Eggplant Parmesan with one of the gorgeous eggplants and San Marzano tomatoes I planted this year. It was the easiest version I’ve ever prepared.
Also the most delicious.
And light — I roast the eggplant slices rather than bread and fry them.
Do you think this was so good because the produce was fresh from my garden?
Maybe. But I think this recipe — so easy and so simple — would also be wondrous with store-bought stuff.
THE EASIEST EGGPLANT PARMESAN EVER
1 medium eggplant
salt
4 tablespoons olive oil, approximately
1 onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
8-10 plum tomatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 cup ricotta cheese
1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplant about 1/8-inch thick, sprinkle with salt and let rest for 20-30 minutes. Wipe the eggplant slices dry and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush each side of each slice of eggplant with a film of olive oil (you will need about 2 tablespoons of oil). Roast the slices for about 15 minutes, turning them once, or until they are softened. Remove from the oven. While the eggplant is roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and basil and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened. Place the eggplant slices on the bottom of a baking dish (overlap the slices slightly). Spread the ricotta cheese on top of the eggplant slices. Spoon the cooked tomato mixture over the cheese. Cover with the mozzarella cheese, then sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is beginning to turn lightly brown.
Makes 4 servings