Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Tomato Stacks

Despite the introductory traffic-related rant, this post is about eggplant.

I promise.  Please read on.

I work in Wilmington, Delaware.

This 495 bridge closure thing has been quite a treat, adding at least 20-30 minutes to my commute to and from work each day.  If there’s an accident, it’s even more eventful.

And painful.  

Even the POTUS is concerned (maybe Joe is whispering in his ear because Delaware is, after all, his home state).  Himself visited the First State disaster this week to tour the damage and repair progress and to talk up his highway infrastructure improvement initiative.  

That gives you an idea of what a colossal mess this has been and will continue to be until Labor Day.  Just in time to handle beach-related traffic…that weekend.

But, the bright spot is that on Wednesday and Fridays in the summer, there is a farmers market very close to my office and that is where I saw these beauties:

Those aubergine things, those are eggplants and the globe-shaped variety are Kamo eggplants.  The absolutely delightful woman from the farm told us that the skin of this variety is not as thick or bitter as regular eggplant so there is no need to peel the skin prior to cooking.   Like other eggplants, they are quite porous and this allows them to easily absorb the flavors of the ingredients with which they are prepared, releasing many layers of tastiness and texture.

As I was chatting with my co-worker about what to make with this jewel, she told me about the eggplant stacks she enjoyed at a nearby restaurant.  Well now, that sounds quite delicious AND would also look amazing plated.  Plus, my Mom, Sister, Uncle and Daughters were coming for Sunday dinner, and I suspected they would really like them!  A quick search revealed several recipes for the stacked lovelies and, like many other recipes, I tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Tomato Stacks

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients

1 Kamo eggplant, unpeeled and sliced (you should get about 6-8 slices, depending on the thickness)

1 1/2 cups of seasoned bread crumbs

1 egg, scrambled with some milk, salt and pepper

3 large tomatoes, sliced

3-5 cloves of garlic, crushed

Olive oil for brushing and frying

1 ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced

Fresh basil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place the breadcrumbs and egg mixture in two separate bowls.  Dip the eggplant, one slice at a time, into the egg, then into the breadcrumbs.  Drizzle a frying pan with some olive oil over a medium heat and when hot, fry the slices until golden brown on each side.  

Place the browned slices on a baking sheet.  Next, slice the tomatoes and arrange them in a single layer on another baking sheet, brush the tomatoes with some olive oil, garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Bake the eggplant slices and the tomatoes for 12-15 minutes (until the tomatoes are soft and slightly browned on the edges).  Let the eggplant and tomato slices cool so you can handle them.  

To make the stacks, place an eggplant slice on a plate, then a tomato slice, next a mozzarella slice, then another tomato slice.  Top with a basil leaf.  Enjoy!

In these parts, we wait all year for Jersey tomatoes and I made this recipe with the purple beauty you see right up there, juicy, delicious Jersey tomatoes, basil from my garden, and mozzarella from the Whole Foods store.  We also enjoyed a cheese tray, chai cupcakes and beer...what could be better, except to share it all with family. More photos from our gathering:

The gorgeous photos are courtesy of my sister at Love, Kate Photography…..visit and like her Facebook page here!