My husband anxiously awaits the cutting of the first glorious purple
eggplant. Eggplant Parmigiano is one of his favorite dishes. Each time I
prepare it, even though it changes depending what the garden tempts me with,
he says it is the best ever. So, I will share recipe version 26 with you...
It all starts in my garden. If you don't have a green thumb, head to your
local farmers market or a grocer who keeps fresh produce. Gather a medium
sized eggplant, (not too soft, should have shiny skin), a few tomatoes,
fennel bulb, a couple green or yellow bell peppers, chives or yellow onion,
bulb garlic and fresh herbs (basil, thyme & oregano).
Start your grill while prepping the veggies. This step is optional, but a
bit of grilled veggie taste adds to the balance of sweet and bitter. Cut the
fronds off the fennel bulb and de-seed the peppers, rub with a little olive
oil and throw on top shelf of grill. While they cook, slice the eggplant
into thick rounds, about half a finger length. Coat the slices in beaten
egg, then a mixture of equal parts of flour & cornmeal. generously sprinkle
with garlic powder & pepper. Saute in olive oil until golden brown on both
sides. Let cool. Perfect timing to go out and turn your veggies on the
grill.
Finish prepping the other veggies, thinly slice the onion, the tomato a
little thicker, peel the garlic bulbs and mince the herbs. Slice mozzarella,
grate parmigiano regiano and ready your marinara (use your favorite brand
(Rao's) or make your own). I mixed the "parm" with a little fresh cream and
reduced into a thick alfredo-style sauce, but once again, this is optional.
Rescue the grilled veggies, slice the fennel and chunk the peppers.
Now the fun begins...let's assemble.

Spray or lightly oil the baking dish, I prefer glass, it bakes more evenly
and you can peek at the action as it bakes. Lay unbaked lasagna sheet ( I
used Rossi Pasta Spinach & Basil flavor), it acts as a buffer and sucks up
the moisure from the eggplant as it cooks. Obviously, the eggplant rounds
are next, then tomato, pepper, fennel, onion ( I used a layer of fresh
chives because they are so plentiful in the garden right now), a whole
garlic bulb, thyme and basil. Then carefully spoon your marinara over the
top. Finish with mozzarella round garnished with oregano and random
spoonfuls of parm-cream. Bake until bubbly and golden. Don't overcook, you
want the eggplant to still have texture and to be able to reheat the
leftovers without that "burnt" flavor. Let it sit and cool a bit after
taking it out of the oven to let the flavors set up. Open a bottle of
Italian Red or California cab and savor your labor!

        

Did you know the word "picnic" comes from the French word  "pique-nique"

meaning "a fashionable social entertainment" in which each guest brings a contribution to the feast. In other words, pique-nique was a fancy way of saying "potluck."

 

The Fourth of July has become synonymous with the barbeque, picnics, and summer fun. There are favorite dishes and foods which immediately come to mind when one thinks of 4th of July. We have always enjoyed watching the men cook steaks, while perusing the array of jello salads, baked beans and pies.

 

We have special pricing on fresh sirloin steaks, local heirloom tomatoes, seedless watermelon and Americana Vodka for a little spike! We are open this week-end so come on down and let us help plan your holiday celebration.

 

All of us at "The Market" hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day sharing your family traditions.

        

My passion for food began as a little girl in my grandmothers kitchen.
Standing on a wooden stool, just tall enough to watch her drop ingredient
after ingredient into a pot, not all at once, but with some mysterious
timing only she knew. The cooper pots hung above our heads, the radio on the
mangle was barely heard above the sizzle and her apron pockets were filled
with matches, spoons for tasting and snips of herbs from grandpa's garden. I
was mesmorized by the aromas. She would put everything under my nose,
sometimes just one, then two combined..."See how they smell so good
together!", she would say. I couldn't wait until I was big enough to start
cooking, but I had so much fun being her "little helper" that the time
passed quickly before I had the honor of preparing a meal for her...

That morning was Mother's Day. Grandpa woke me up even before the robins had
starting singing. We quietly slipped out to the garden to cut rhubarb. He
shared his plan to surprise grandma with breakfast in bed. We would have to
work fast because she would be rising soon. After a large mess, we managed
to make rhubarb scones out of a recipe from the famous red & white checkered
cookbook, cooked bacon strips, carefully pouring the remaining fat into the
coffee can. I poured grapefruit juice into glasses, while he cut lilacs and
put them into a glass milk jug.

Once the tray was carefully arranged , I opened the door to their bedroom,
jumping on the bed. "Happy Mother's Day Grandma",I gleefully yelled,
"Wake-up, Wake-up!" The three of us sat under the covers together, dropping
crumbs all over the blankets. She gave me big hugs and kisses, saying how
proud she was of me. Even though I was really only Grandpa's helper this
time, and of course, Grandma faked she was still sleeping while we cooked,
to me, this was my first solo kitchen flight not under her wings.

This was a special Mother's Day for both of us. Years later, I would find
myself laughing with my own children as we shared a bedroom brunch. The
tradition continues....