Three Layer Cake

These recipes are dedicated to Camilla Wright (see her interview ) and Gordon Ramsay

“All eggplants should be shiny and firm (but not rock hard) with taut skin that is free of blemishes (such as worm holes or dark brown spots) or bruises.  Heavy scarring is an indication of poor handling, but small scarring may just signal wind damage.” – Tony Tantillo and Sam Gugino, Eat Fresh, Stay Healthy, 1996, Macmillan, p107.

 
Eggplant pasta sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 small eggplant
• 1 white onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 10 fresh cherry tomatoes or 400g crushed tomatoes
• basil
• crushed red pepper
• Baked ricotta, optional

 Cut eggplant in cubes, finely dice onion, crush garlic cloves.  In a sauce pot sauté one garlic clove and red pepper.  Add tomatoes, sliced in half.  Cover and simmer. 

In a non-stick frying pan, sauté eggplant, onion, and garlic. 

Once eggplant is sufficiently soft (to your taste), add tomato sauce from saucepot and a few leaves of fresh basil, mix well, serve over rigatoni (or other tubular pasta). 

Sprinkle with grated baked ricotta, if you like.

(Grilled) Eggplant Parmesan

The Neapolitan version of this, the creators of the dish, sauté the eggplant in oil, and bake this in the oven, making a fantastic, but very oily, final dish.  Here, the eggplants are thinly sliced and grilled.  You can also do this with zucchini.

Ingredients:
 

• 3 or 4 long thin eggplants
• 2 cans crushed tomatoes (800g)
• fresh basil
• Mozzarella (about 200g, however much to make even layers)
  
• Parmesan cheese, grated
• Olive oil
• Garlic

 
Thinly slice eggplant lengthwise and put in a bowl of salted water for 15-30 minutes while the tomato sauce is prepared.  Heat oven to 350°F/180°C.  Sauté garlic, discarding once it has taken color, add tomatoes, and basil and cook until sauce thickens.  Cut mozzarella into thin slices.  Grate parmesan cheese or thinly slice it.  Drain eggplant, and grill in a pan til soft, about five minutes each side, pressing with a fork occasionally to release excess liquid.  Lightly oil the bottom of a small ovenproof casserole dish, cover with a very light layer of tomato sauce and line with eggplant.  Cover with a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce, a layer of mozzarella, a sprinkle (or place slices) of parmesan, and repeat layers until everything is used up, ending with tomato sauce and cheese.  Carefully drain excess liquid from the pan.  Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes, til the dish is warmed through and the mozzarella has melted and the dish is bubbly.

Spicy Eggplant with basil (side dish)

Adapted from a recipe in Marie Claire Fresh by Michele Cranston.

Ingredients:

• 4 small eggplants
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped green onion
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 T fresh ginger, chopped
• 3 T balsamic vinegar
• fresh spicy red pepper
• 1 T peppercorns
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 t sugar
• 4 T olive oil
• salt, pepper to taste
• 1 cup hot water

 
Cut eggplant into cubes, red pepper into long strips.  Heat olive oil in a pan, cook eggplant and red pepper for 5 minutes.  Add cup of hot water, cover.  Cook til soft, but not mushy.  Drain on a paper towel.

Heat peppercorns, chives, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger for about 5 minutes.  Add eggplant, mix well.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

intro photo:  Mehrab Moghadasian, inner photo:  Liz van Steenburgh