Garden Goodness

My once thriving garden has taken a turn for the worse. I am so bummed! My tomatoes are doing ok but not great. *sigh* So now I rely on my wonderful friends that have a greener thumb this year than I do. I met one of them for coffee the other day and she had a huge bag full of tomatoes and eggplant for me. The girls eat tomatoes like candy (which I couldn't be more pleased with) and my favorite thing to do with eggplant is to make eggplant parmesan. I wasn't up to frying the eggplant though. It always turns out a greasy mess. Also, my husband isn't a fan of tomato based sauces but loves a good salsa or bruschetta. So I decided to bake the eggplant rather than frying it and instead of a pureed tomato sauce I thought I would do something more chunky. I have to tell you that this turned out better than I expected. It was so flavorful and was even delicious as leftovers. I served it with a side of buttered angel hair pasta with some grated parmesan and basil thrown in. Yum. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Eggplant Parmesan


Fresh tomato sauce, see recipe below
3 eggplant peeled and thinly sliced
2-3 eggs beaten
4 cups seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2/3 cup grated parmesan

1. Prepare fresh tomato sauce.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 - 10 minutes on each side or until desired crispness.

4. In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish spread a layer of the tomato sauce and top with eggplant slices and part of the cheese (just like a lasagna!). Repeat layers with remaining ingredients ending with the cheese.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Fresh Tomato Sauce
Joy of Cooking

Drain in a colander for 20 minutes:

5 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and finely diced

Remove to a large bowl and stir in:

1/2 cup basil, oregano, or parsley leaves, finely chopped (I used basil)
1/2 cup pitted black oil-cured or brined olives - optional (I didn't use olives)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Let stand for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

I threw this together tonight because Haley said she wanted a "cucumber and onion salad". Now, if you knew my daughter, you would know this is strange since she has had a phobia of onions her whole life. If an onion touched anything on her plate she would not eat it. If she saw me chopping onions she forcefully reminded me "Mommy, remember, DO NOT PUT ONIONS IN MY DINNER!". Or, whenever it was time to order in a restaurant, no matter what she was having she would remind the waitress, "No onions please!". Tonight though, as I was chopping the onion she reached up and grabbed a slice and proceeded to eat it with enthusiasm. I have no idea where this came from but I won't complain!

This turned out really good and was refreshing (it was in the 90's here today!) and will be awesome this summer when our garden is ripe. It also went well with the leftover lasagna. A little fresh basil would be a nice touch also.

In a medium bowl combine:

2 cucumbers, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (red would be best but any would work)
feta cheese (I love feta so I use a lot)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together:

2 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
balsamic vinegar (I am guessing here... 4 tablespoons? Eyeball it and adjust the amount to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over veggies and toss well. Chill 2-3 hours.

Enjoy!