Eggplant Parmesan

(from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen, new revised edition, 1992)

(about 8 servings)

2 medium eggplants (about 7 inches long)

3/4 cup milk (more, as needed)

2 cups fine bread crumbs or wheat germ (or mix them)

1 tsp. basil

½ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. thyme

1 batch Italian tomato sauce (use bottled sauce or see recipe below)

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, grated

About ½ cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking tray and a 9x13-inch pan.

Cut the eggplants into rounds ½ inch thick. Put the milk in a shallow bowl. Mix bread crumbs or wheat germ with herbs on a plate. Dip each eggplant slice in the milk on both sides, then coat it well with the crumbs. Put the slices on the baking tray and the pan and bake about 20 to 30 minutes till tender. Remove from oven and pile the slices gently on the baking tray.

Without cleaning the 9x13-inch pan, ladle some tomato sauce into the bottom. Add a layer of eggplant slices and cover with more sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella over the sauce, then repeat the layering until you run out of something or have no more room. Sprinkle the top with parmesan.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes or until heated through and bubbly around the edges. Remove from oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Italian Tomato Sauce

(also from Moosewood Cookbook)

(makes enough for 6–8 servings)

1–2 Tb. olive oil

2 cups chopped onion

1 medium bell pepper, diced

2 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. thyme

1½ tsp. salt

2 Tb. dry red wine

1 big can tomatoes (about 28 oz.)

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 Tb. honey

Lots of black pepper

4–6 large cloves garlic, minced

½ cup minced parsley

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a kettle. Add onion, bell pepper, herbs, and salt, and sauté over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes till the onion is very soft.

Add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and black pepper. Break up the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, partly covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.

Add garlic and cook for about 10 minutes more. At this point, the sauce can sit for up to several hours or it can cool down and be refrigerated for up to a week. Heat gently before serving, and add parsley at the last minute.

Added by Susan Tornheim