at home with ann

We've had these before , and they were even better this time around.  When I saw the mini eggplants in our CSA pickup a few weeks ago, my first inclination was to make mini eggplant parm, because that is by far the most searched recipe on my site.  I thought it might be ready for an upgrade, but then I got sidetracked, as I so often do these days.  In any case, these crispy eggplant bites are delicious.  We had them as part of a caprese salad, but they would also be excellent as an hors d'oeuvres with a tomato or pesto sauce for dipping. Crispy Eggplant Bites 3 small eggplants, cut into cubes kosher salt 1/2 cup flour 2-3 eggs, whisked 1 cup breadcrumbs 1 teaspoon Italian herbs (oregano, basil, parsley) Cooking spray Put cut eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with kosher salt.  Leave for at least an hour.  This takes out some of the extra moisture, as well as the bitterness.  If your eggplant are more mature, or have spent a few extra days...

Sometimes you need dinner to be simple, healthy, and able to be prepared hours before you eat.  This fit the bill on all counts.  My new love affair with mushrooms continues.  Leftovers are excellent, even eaten standing in front of the fridge holding a fork.  Balsamic Roasted Eggplant and Mushrooms with Quinoa based on Eat Live Run Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants (or one large) 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced (I used crimini) kosher salt 1 cup dry quinoa 1 3/4 cup vegetable broth 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tsp dijon mustard 1/3 cup warm water 1 clove garlic, grated 2 Tablespoons olive oil 4 green onions, chopped Directions:  Using a vegetable peeler, peel long strips on the eggplant so that it looks striped. Chop eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes and put in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and let sit for an hour.  This draws out some of the liquid and also takes the bitterness out of the eggplant. Preheat oven to ...

There's a problem with the oven.  A problem that means it takes an hour to preheat to a temperature that is no where near the one set, and randomly cools down while it's cooking.  This meant that after "roasting" in a 425 degree oven for nearly 2 hours , the pan came out cool enough to touch and the vegetables were lightly cooked and lukewarm.   Needless to say, Jon's to-do list for this weekend includes fixing the oven or buying a new one.  This meal was inspired by yet another Pinterest find.  This one , to be specific.  I strayed quite a bit from the original recipe, but really it just put the idea into my head to do a roasted vegetable couscous.  Also, the website is British, so it says things like aubergine instead of eggplant, courgettes instead of zucchini, and shallow tin instead of baking sheet.  That's fun.  Roasted Vegetable Couscous 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 r...

I got these adorable mini eggplant at the CSA last week.  They are so mini and tender that you don't need to peel them, the skin is easy to eat.  Not like eating regular eggplant skin where you have to tear through it dinosaur-style with your teeth.  Anyway, while brainstorming ideas for how to use these mini eggplant, I happened on a recipe for crispy baked zucchini fries.  Using the classic breadcrumb technique, I came up with crispy baked eggplant.  I served these along caprese salad with pesto and drizzled with balsamic.  I'm thinking the leftovers will make a great hot wrap for lunch if I ever finish eating the corn soup.  Crispy Baked Eggplant 4-5 mini eggplant, or one full size 1/2 cup flour 2 eggs 1/2-1 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon dried oregano Cooking spray Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Chop eggplant into bite size pieces (about half an inch).  If you have time, put eggplant pieces on a colander...

I'm not sure how I got it into my head that I wanted to make ratatouille, maybe because all the vegetables are in season, or once I thought of it I couldn't get the cute cooking rat  out of my head.  In any case, it was a great way to utilize a bunch of the CSA veggies (and a few extras from the farm stand) this week.  I read a whole bunch of recipes online, but went with the Joy of Cooking, my go-to for classic recipes. Ratatouille Ingredients: 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 lb. zucchini, cut into 1 inch cubes 1 1/2 cups onions, sliced 2 large bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces 3 garlic cloves, chopped salt and pepper 1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup basil, chopped I prepped the eggplant by putting the cubes into a colander, sprinkling with salt and leaving for about 30 minutes.  This draws out some of the liquid and eliminates bitterness. In a large dutch oven...

I mentioned yesterday that in addition to the Polenta Packets, we also grilled up a bunch of vegetables to eat this week.  Grilling vegetables is one of the easiest things you can do with a grill, and they are delicious.  I sliced up an eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash, and marinated them in Italian salad dressing.  You can marinate in anything you like, but I would say at least a little olive oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper. I peeled strips into the skin of the eggplant and sliced into about 1/4-1/2 inch rounds.  The zucchini and yellow squash were a little small, so I sliced those lengthwise so they wouldn't fall into the coals.  A few of the zucchini threw themselves through the grate onto the coals anyway, but that was likely due to the tong technique of the griller.  The griller was not me. Grill the vegetables over medium or high heat a few minutes each side, or until they have nice marks and have softened.  Return to the dish you used...

I think I've mentioned before that we went to the Amalfi Coast in Italy for our honeymoon.  Jon's brothers and sister gave us the extremely creative and generous gift of a day at Mamma Agata's Cooking School .  An experience unlike any other, we spent the entire day cooking, drinking wine, walking through their hillside gardens, and eating a gourmet meal.  At the end of the day, we were given a cookbook of the recipes we made, to recreate at home.  One of our favorite dishes was the Eggplant Parmesan.  While I will never find ingredients parallel to hers (tomatoes warmed in the sun on the Italian coast are spectacular), I have modified the recipe a bit to make it my own. Eggplant Parmesan inspired by Mamma Agata Ingredients: 2-3 medium eggplants (or 5-6 small) kosher salt 14 or 28 oz can crushed tomatoes garlic basil and oregano 8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 8 oz. smoked gouda, sliced parmesan cheese, for grating 1. Peel the eggplant into ...

Eggplant parmesan is good.  Mini things are cute.  Mini eggplant parmesan is good and cute.  Lately, when I've been making eggplant parm, I broil the eggplant slices.  It's healthier.  In cooking class in Italy, I learned to make eggplant by lightly dredging in flour and quickly frying.  So, today, I cooked eggplant the classic way, and it was great. Eggplant Parmesan Stacks slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Ingredients: 3-4 small eggplants, sliced in 1/4 inch rounds kosher salt canola or vegetable oil, for frying 1 1/2 cups simple tomato sauce (recipe below) 4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated I like to peel stripes in eggplants before cooking.  The skin helps the eggplant stay together, but it can be tough.  When you peel in stripes, you get the best of both worlds, and it looks nice. Slice the eggplant and put slices in a colander.  Sprinkle with kosher salt and let sit for at least an hour....