THE MIGHTY EGGPLANT…9-8

Lying beside the large bag of green beans in the CSA box was a plump, fresh eggplant, thus tonight’s dinner was pre-determined by our Amish friends.



INGREDIENTS:

1 Eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise
San Marzano tomatoes
Fresh Basil
Garlic and onion
Olive oil
Mozzarella cheese, cut into small pieces
Tomato paste

PROCESS:

The eggplant slices were generously salted on both sides, placed on a cookie tray that was tilted to drain into the sink, and covered with a cutting board with a pan of water on the top. They were allowed to sit and release the bitter juices for over an hour.

In the meantime cook the garlic and onion until soft in the olive oil, add the tomatoes, some salt, and the fresh chopped basil and simmer for about 30 minutes (time is not critical). I decided to add about 1 teaspoon of tomato paste to thicken the sauce.

Remove the eggplant slice, rinse well and pat dry, and cut into French fry size pieces. Cook in a pan with hot olive oil until golden brown, remove and place on paper towels to drain.

Place the cooked pasta (penne) in a bowl and mix in the tomatoes, eggplant, and mozzarella and serve.
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COMMENTS:

I thought I died and went to heaven!