This past week I was in
California and was not able to join my
dinner-making friends for our weekly frolic. Last week, we enjoyed an excursion
into
Philadelphia
and dined at a restaurant called
Zahav that serves Israeli cuisine.
I
had a wonderful drink called a
Desert Rose that blended gin, hibiscus,
grapefruit and cucumber into a yummy little tonic.
The mini jaunt fit nicely into our recent
obsession with making dishes from the
Jerusalem
cookbook.
The week before, however, it was my turn to cook. I saw some lovely eggplants
at the local specialty foods market and I decided to make eggplant parmesan
with mushrooms.
Eggplants were first grown in
China
as far back the 5th century BC, right around the same time the Spartans beat the Athenians in the Battle of Mantinea.
Early varieties were quite bitter, and as
with anything bitter, people avoided them, believing them to be harmful and
toxic. A few centuries later, less bitter varieties were introduced and the
aubergine beauty became a staple in many European and Middle Eastern cuisines.
The Italians happily adopted it into their family in the 14th century.
Eggplants contain nasunin, an antioxidant known to protect the fats in brain
cells from free radical damage (maybe biology major younger daughter can
explain this to me...it has something to do with unpaired electrons), and, as all
vitamin commercials remind us, antioxidants may help to promote graceful aging.
I wonder if there a cookbook dedicated to eggplant preparation.
Eggplant is a fruit closely related to the tomato and that perhaps explains
why the two pair so well together. Eaten raw, the eggplant is bitter but relatively spongy so it absorbs the flavors of recipe companion ingredients
nicely. To reduce the bitterness, some suggest salting, draining and rinsing
prior to cooking. I think this method flattens the taste of the eggplant and personally,
I like to simply slice it thinly, dredge it in flour, eggs then bread crumbs
and sauté until brown on both sides prior to baking.
To make the sauce, I used a can of San
Marzano tomatoes -- they have less seeds -- and a few fresh tomatoes from
Irish Guy’s garden.
Eggplant Parmesan with Mushrooms
About 2 tablespoons olive oil
½ sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
3 fresh garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
A few turns of sea salt in a salt grinder
1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil
1 tablespoon of fresh marjoram or oregano
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
¼ - ½ cup of water
Splash of red wine vinegar
1 large eggplant
3 cups panko bread crumbs
About 2 cups of flour
1egg, beaten
½ cup olive oil
1 8 oz container of sliced mushrooms
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
1 cup of Parmesan cheese
To make the simple tomato sauce, in a large saucepan over
medium heat, heat 2 swirls of the pan of olive oil and add onion, garlic and
red pepper flakes. Swirl is such a happy word, don’t you think? Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the
canned tomatoes and their juices and the fresh tomatoes, breaking them up as
they cook with a wooden spoon. Add some
water if the mixture appears too thick. Add
the salt, brown sugar, marjoram or oregano and basil and bring to a boil. Add a splash of wine vinegar… this boosts the flavors!
Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes.
To prepare the eggplant, peel the eggplant and slice into thin
pieces, about ¼”. Dredge the slices in
the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs and sauté until lightly browned
on both sides. In a large casserole
dish, add a layer of the sauce, then a layer of browned eggplant, some sliced mushrooms,
then some of the cheeses and repeat until all the ingredients are gone. Bake at 375° for 40-45 minutes or until the
mixture is bubbling. Serve with buttered
noodles or rice.
So, I’m strolling through Target and I ramble over to the
food section..JPG)
