Late summer brings a special tradition to our home.

Eggplant Parmesan

The eggplants are perfect now. Ripe and heavy and just begging to be made into this amazing tomato and cheese laced dish.
Given as gifts from our neighbors or part of our CSA basket, they are so fresh that there is no need to salt them, I skip that step of the recipe.
And thankfully the temperature outside is cool enough to have the oven on again.

Yesterday I made my third batch in three weeks. As long as the eggplant are ripening in the garden, our delicious summer Eggplant Parmesan tradition will continue.




Real Eggplant Parmesan
taken from The Campagna Table by Mark Strausman
makes 8 servings

* 3 large eggplant (do not peel)
* salt
* vegetable oil, for frying
* all purpose flour, for dredging
* 4 cups Traditional Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 3 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley

Cut off the top and bottom of each eggplant. Slice ½ inch thick and lay a single layer of slices on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt (about ¼ teaspoon per slice), then turn and salt the other side. Repeat with the remaining eggplant, putting a sheet of wax paper between each layer. Rest another baking sheet on the very top and weigh it down with full cans (or anything heavy). Set aside to drain for 2 to 4 hours. Rinse under running water and drain on paper towels.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 inches of oil until very hot but not smoking. Spread about ½ cup flour out on a plate. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, dredge the eggplant slices on both sides in flour. Shake off any excess and immediately slip into the oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, arrange half of the eggplant slices in overlapping rows. Spread with half the tomato sauce and sprinkle with half the cheese, half the oregano and half the parsley. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake 40 minutes, until heated through and the cheese is golden.

Traditional Tomato Sauce
taken from The Campagna Table by Mark Strausman
makes enough sauce for about four pounds of pasta

* ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
* Four 28 ounce cans milled or crushed Italian plum tomatoes
* 1 cup dry red wine
* 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
* 2 tablespoons dried oregano
* salt

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, wine, red pepper flakes, oregano and salt to taste. Cover and bring to a simmer, then uncover and simmer gently about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. The sauce is done when it has a rich flavor but does not taste overcooked.