Weekend Herb Blogging

Filed in archive Food Blogosphere , From Garden to Table , Recipes on August 25, 2007

Weekend Herb Blogging is being hosted this weekend by Scott at Real Epicurean. He's contributed a beautiful looking strawberry and Champagne Jam.

This event began one weekend back in October 2005 when Kalyn, of Kalyn's Kitchen, decided to post some pictures of her plants on her blog.

I was planning to post a picture of one of my plants, since I don't have a dog or a cat to show when all the food bloggers start doing weekend dog blogging or weekend cat blogging. I was just kidding at first, but the idea grew on me.

The rest is history.

It is a great event where some creative and delicious recipes are shared. This weekend I've contributed an excellent Eggplant and Tomato Gratin.








This recipe comes from Patricia Wells at Home in Provence.

Monsieur Henry's Eggplant Gratin

equipment: One shallow 2-quart (2-l) gratin dish

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 small eggplants, each weighing about 5 ounces (150 g) or the equivalent weight in larger eggplants, trimmed at stem end
fine sea salt to taste
3 tablespoons finely minced mixed fresh herb leaves, such as rosemary, sage, thyme and basil
a pinch of dried oregano
½ cup (2 ounces; 60 g) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 pounds (1 kg) fresh tomatoes, cored and halved crosswise

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 C; gas mark 8)
2. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over the bottom of the gratin dish. If the eggplants are small, slice them in half lengthwise. (If they are large, cut them into four lengthwise slices.) Place the eggplants, skin side down, in a single layer in the gratin dish. Lightly score them with a sharp knife. Sprinkle with the salt and minced fresh herbs and oregano. Sprinkle with about half the cheese. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on top of the eggplants in a single layer. Brush the tomato skins with the rest of the oil and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.
3. Place the gratin dish in the center of the oven and bake until the vegetables are soft and almost falling apart, about 1 hour. The tops of the tomatoes should be almost black, and the juices from the eggplant and tomato should turn thick and almost caramelized. Serve warm or at room temperature, as a side dish or main vegetable dish. Use a spatula to cut and serve measured portions.

Four to six servings