When life gives you eggplant
July 18, 2009 – 9:20 am
Eggplant, Left to Right: Orient Charm, Snow White, Ichiban, Louisiana Long, Rosa Bianca
If your garden is anything like mine, you’re probably pouring over cookbooks in search of good, easy recipes to make use of your bounty. So today, rather than wax on about heady things, I send you this recipe for an eggplant bake. If you don’t grow Ichiban eggplants, I suggest you try them. They are much sweeter than the black beauties, have very little seeds and absolutely no bitterness. Similar varieties you may also like: Louisiana Longs, Orient Charm and Rosa Bianca.
Ingredients: Eggplant, tomatoes, basil, oregano, olive oil, salt and pepper, feta or mozzarella cheese. That’s it.
Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise. Lay in the bottom of a casserole dish. Salt just a little. You can make this two layers thick if you have a lot of eggplant.
Shred 1 cup of basil (yes, a whole cup) and lay on top of eggplant.
Slice tomatoes and place on top of basil.
Cover with fresh or dried oregano, about ¼ cup
Sprinkle ½ cup of cheese over the entire casserole – don’t overdo the cheese or you’ll lose the flavors of the dish
Salt and pepper to taste
Cover and bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees.
Viola! Low calorie and delicious. Got another good one? Send it my way.
3 Responses to “When life gives you eggplant”
Tris,this is a egglplant recipe that my husband likes. We grow the Japanese version. I rinse and peel three or four and cut straight across (like circles). Place in a pot covered with salted water (I also add black pepper). Cook until they begin to flowt and have shrinked alittle. Drain. In a separate bowl, wish one egg and add some milk. Add the drained eggplant,stir. Spray a small casserole dish with Pam. Add eggplant mixture. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until set and a little brown around the edges. Trish, I have chopped a red bell pepper from the garden in the eggplant mixture before baking and I liked it, however my husband prefers that I not add the bell pepper. Anyway, this makes a good side dish and is good heated in the next night in the microwave as leftovers. Hope that youll give this a try. I am going to try your recipe to.
By deane connor on Jul 18, 2009
Quick cook:
Peel and slice (1/2″)eggplant; cut into 1/2″ cubes. Put in colander and salt; let sit 30 mins to release moisture. Put cubes in glass dish and microwave for 5 minutes. Voila! Thrown them in pasta dishes, toss in with ingredients in Trish’s dish and heat in micro for a faster version, get creative!!
Also:
Same prep using slices. After draining, dip in Italian dressing and roast on a cookie sheet 15 mins at 450. Stack 1 slice, 1 thick slice tomato, chopped basil, salt/pepper, 1 thick slice fresh mozzerella. Heat enough to melt cheese some and serve. mmmm OR, you can chill the slices and do the same thing for a cold version of eggplant insalda caprese.
By Hartley on Jul 18, 2009
Eggplant is not my favorite, but your recipe makes my mouth water. I MUST try it. I loved the photo. What a beautiful still-life! Glenda
By Glenda on Jul 19, 2009