My summertime favorite vegetable is eggplant and tomatoes (together) and right now my garden is rocking both of these. Our very favorite is grilled eggplant layered with sliced tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella cheese, baked until the cheese melts and sprinkled with fresh basil. If you think you don't like eggplant try this-it's a game changer.
My friend Lisa shared her mom's recipe for Musakka and it has become a summer staple. I had 6 nice sized eggplants so I made 2 pans for the freezer and one small one for dinner tonight. I've made a few amendments to the recipe with wine and spices.
Start with 2 large eggplant chopped into bite sized pieces, sauté in olive oil until lightly browned and soft. Pour into your greased baking dish.
Saute' 2 vadalia onions until slightly camelized and and add on top of the eggplant.
Next add garbanzo beans (I always buy a bag and soak and cook my own but you can buy canned). One can should do it, I used one small bag of cooked beans for 2 small pans and 1 large just to use them up. Make some hummus if you have left overs!
Spread the top with sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. I actually chopped mine and added lots to make some good liquid. The recipe calls for 3/4 Cup of water, but I use wine for extra flavor (a dry chardonnay-It will be a nice pairing for the dinner!) I also crushed some dried oregano (my homegrown) and will add fresh basil when it comes out of the oven. Also salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
The other two pans were ready for the freezer as soon as I was finished making them. (I didn't bake them for an hour). Everything that needed to be cooked was. I'll get them out in the morning (this fall when I leave for work) and they will be ready to stick in the oven when I get home.
I'm not a vegetarian because once in a great while I want a good organic steak or burger, but for the most part we are. This is loaded with protein and is a great main dish if you are a veg head or side dish if you aren't.
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