Sunday, May 1
Guests of Honor: Chrissie and the Matts (Enlow and Hannon)
The main dish was a perennial favorite: Eggplant Parmesan. In addition, we had green beans with tapenade dressing, garlic rolls, and, by special request, the return of Berries with Sherry Sabayon.
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
* 1 eggplant
* Salt, as needed, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons
* Flour
* 3 large eggs
* 1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 28 ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 large handful basil leaves
* 1 ball fresh salted mozzarella (about 1/2 pound)
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. Trim the ends from the eggplant, but don't peel it. Slice into rounds no more than 1/2 inch thick - the thinner, the better. Season both sides generously with salt and place in a colander set in the sink to drain for about 1 hour. Rinse salt off slices and pat them very dry.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place about a cup of flour on a plate or shallow bowl. Beat the eggs in another bowl and combine the bread crumbs and oregano in a third. Dip each eggplant slice in the flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the eggs, and press both sides into the bread crumbs to coat.
3. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant in batches until crisp and deep golden brown, turning halfway through cooking, about 4 minutes total. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
4. Pour the oil out of the skillet and wipe clean with a paper towel. Pour the tomatoes and their juices in a large bowl and crush with your hands. Smash and peel the garlic. Return the skillet to medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Carefully pour the tomatoes into the skillet and season with the 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Simmer until the sauce just thickens, about 8 to 10 minutes, Add the basil and cook until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Lay the eggplant in slightly overlapping rows in a medium casserole. Pour about 2/3 of the sauce over the eggplant. Thinly slice the mozzarella and layer over the sauce. Cover with the rest of the sauce and scatter the Parmesan on top. Bake, uncovered, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheeses melt, about 20 minutes. Let “settle” for 5 minutes before serving.
Reflections
This recipe is good, but it is involved and time-consuming. I ended up taking shortcuts with my side dishes (even though I tried to choose relatively easy sides) in order to get everything on the table.
I sliced the eggplant extra-thin, which meant that the meal took longer to make. It also meant that I needed to use more flour and breadcrumbs than the recipe called for. I ended up using extra cheese, but that’s because I like cheese.
Green Beans with Tapenade Dressing
Ingredients
* Coarse salt
* 1 pound green beans
* 1/4 cup black-olive tapenade
* 1 clove garlic, minced, or more to taste
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
* Freshly ground pepper
Directions
1. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Plunge beans into boiling water, and cook until bright green and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain, and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Trim the ends off the beans, and cut in half lengthwise.
2. Transfer beans to a serving bowl, and toss well with tapenade, garlic, parsley, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Reflections
This is pretty straightforward. I think the green beans ended up slightly raw, though.
I had a little bit of trouble finding the tapenade at my local supermarket. Initially, I found a sun-dried tomato tapenade, but was able to find a more “traditional” version eventually.
Garlic Knots
Ingredients
* All-purpose flour, for shaping dough
* 1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
* 4 tablespoons olive oil
* 4 garlic cloves, minced
* Coarse salt and ground pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to a 16-by-10-inch rectangle; with a knife or pizza cutter, cut crosswise into 16 strips. Tie each strip into a knot, and place on a large rimmed baking sheet.
2. Brush knots with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until golden, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to a large bowl.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat garlic and remaining 3 tablespoons oil over medium until garlic is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour garlic oil over bread knots in bowl; season with salt and pepper, and toss.
Reflections
This is pretty simple, although the flour was kind of messy. In order to save time, I skipped step 3 and just placed chopped garlic on top of the rolls before placing them in the oven. This seemed to work well enough.
Cooking is Messy!
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