First up: Filled Eggplant with Polenta
For a while now, I have been religiously reading Frances Mayes' books that focus on her time living in Tuscany (she's probably most noted for authoring "Under the Tuscan Sun" on which the movie starring Diane Lane was based). I used to find her writing engaging and something to which I could relate, not because I could shell out my life savings to just up and buy a villa in Tuscany in desperate need of repair, but because I am in love with all foods Italian. Especially, as I've come to find, the rustic food of Tuscans, something I hope to experience first-hand in just two short years. Her previous books were laced with Italian recipes, the result of her time spent with Tuscans and learning to cook with them. So, when I picked up her latest tome, "Every Day in Tuscany," I was looking forward to settling back in after several years with her authentic recipes. To make a long story short, I was disappointed by the almost condescending tone of Mayes' latest and managed to sift through the fluff to find the recipes. One stuck out, a filled eggplant, because we've been incorporating more and more eggplant into our diet since it is readily available in our big-chain grocery store.
This is a relatively simple recipe, a key to my fascination with Tuscan cuisine: making simple ingredients taste amazing by doing very little. To start, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Then:
- Cut one or two eggplants (depending on your serving size; one half easily feeds one person) in two lengthwise.
- Being careful not to rip the skin (I found buying an extra eggplant worked well here because I could have a practice run, something I needed because I ripped the hell out of the first half), scoop out the seeds and the white part. I will tell you now that eggplant is not easily scooped--the "white part" is very stubborn and does not scoop as easily as, say, cantaloupe. After my trial run of ripped skin, I found it best to hold the eggplant half in my hand firmly, scoop out the majority of the seeds, then proceed to the fleshier part, almost mentally dividing the half into fourths and working on each section as gingerly as was possible. It's okay if there is some white flesh left--you'll be baking the eggplant, so you won't run the risk of consuming raw eggplant, something that should be avoided as the veggie contains toxins in its raw stage. Though it won't kill you, it's not the best thing to consume raw eggplant.
- Chop the white part of the eggplant and set aside.
- In a saute pan, heat 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add one large onion, chopped, and saute until softened (approximately four minutes).
- Add 4-5 garlic cloves, minced, and continue to saute for another two minutes (be careful not to overcook the garlic).
- Add the chopped eggplant, five chopped tomatoes (or a mixture of canned diced tomatoes, drained, and fresh tomatoes), 2 Tbsp. tomato paste, and salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the eggplant mixture for about 10 minutes.
- Place the eggplant shells on a foil-lined baking sheet that has been lightly coated with extra-virgin olive oil.
- Fill the shells with the eggplant mixture and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I avoid the green-canned stuff and opt for the Parmesan wedge and grate what I need).
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
I served this with polenta (yes, of the tube variety, which you should be able to find in the grocery store; I always buy the plain, or original, flavor) topped with pancetta. Start by cooking the pancetta in a saute pan over medium heat until crispy (it will end up being the texture of crispy bacon). Remove the pancetta, crumble and set aside. Saute the polenta in the pancetta drippings (again over medium heat) until a golden brown on both sides. Another side: just your basic salad.
Next up: Greek-Style Pork Chops
So, just go here. I didn't make many adjustments on this other than a bit more salt to season the pork. I also cut some pitas to serve with the meal, brushed them with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkled with salt, and grilled lightly after pulling the pork off the grill (just because I find grilled pita is much tastier than pitas served right out of the bag). Also, when you pull the pork out of the marinade, be sure to get the bits of garlic off of the meat or you'll most likely burn it when the pork is on the grill.
