Saturday’s Basket – Eggplant Parmesan

Since we’ve been saturated by all-things-traditional Thanksgiving, I thought I would write my last summer post about a recipe far from any holiday dish I ever knew growing up.  This one is a market favorite because so many vendors have multiple varieties of Eggplant throughout the season and, since it is breaded and pan fried, it is appealing to many palates.  I picked up this particular vegetable from Heath’s Farm stand and it was his last of the year, glad I grabbed it! 

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

1 cup flour

1 egg

1 cup italian style breadcrumbs

pinch of red pepper flake

salt & pepper

olive oil

fresh mozzarella

basil leaves

marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Start by setting up the breading station:  one plate for the flour seasoned with salt & pepper, one plate for the breadcrumbs seasoned with the red pepper flakes and a final shallow bowl with a lightly beaten egg.

For this dish, I cut the eggplant in rounds with skin-on but another option is to do thin slices vertically to stack as you would a lasagna.  The eggplant slices go in the flour mixture first and then, with the excess flour shaken off, they get dredged in the egg.  The last step is to transfer the slices into the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down slightly until the eggplant is evenly coated.  It will be rustic looking and that is just fine.

Next, the breaded slices are pan fried in a thin layer of olive oil (over medium heat) until lightly browned on each side – about 1 minute per.  Working in batches, transfer the fried eggplant to a holding plate with a paper towel to soak up any excess oil and fry the remaining slices.

The final step is to stack the slices in a oven safe casserole dish, layering with slices of fresh mozzarella and basil.  Depending on sauce preferences, either layer in sauce or cover the top of the dish with sauce which will help to infuse even more flavor and keep the eggplant moist and delicious.

The end product gets baked in a 325° oven for approximately 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. It is hearty enough to be served as an entree but also makes a great side dish, served alongside pork loin or roasted chicken.

This will be my last Saturday’s Basket for the Summer/Fall season but the Market is scheduled to go through December 4th in Forest Hill Park until it takes up near the corner of Forest Hill and Westover Hills Boulevard for the Winter season (4910 Forest Hill Ave. on Saturdays from 10-12 p.m.).  Don’t miss the market over the next 2 weekends though, there is still delicious food to be found along with beautiful artwork and crafts for Christmas gifts.   Happy locally grown and home-cooked Thanksgiving to all!

Saturday’s Basket is written by a Forest Hill resident and is a weekly review of South of the James Market purchases and the recipes she creates with her market finds. View these and more recipes at Pantry2Plate, a food blog with stories of cooking as best as she knows how.