Everyone is wondering what to make with their homegrown garden eggplants… besides heavy eggplant parm. My long-time paisan Rob Di Rico saw a post of mine on Instagram relating to this conundrum. He messaged me, “Paula, I have eggplants too. I made an eggplant-tomato gratin. It was delicious. It’s very fresh and light. People think gratin, they think heavy cream. Not always!”
Gratin is a French culinary technique. Ingredients are topped with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg, butter or oil to create a browned crust by baking. The term is used for any dish made using this method.
Rob DM’d the recipe and said, “It’s based on Jacques Pepin, my favorite. I didn’t use gruyere, I used imported Parmigiano and blended it with the bread, chives, garlic, and parsley. Use some EVOO on the breadcrumb mixture so the top browns in the oven. It also says ‘use Chinese eggplant’ but white eggplant is fine.”
I stuck to the original below, but this recipe, as Rob mentioned, is a great base. Experiment with different cheeses and your favorite herbs from the garden.
Eggplant-Tomato Gratin
Ingredients:
2 eggplants, preferably long, narrow Chinese eggplants
1/2 cup olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound)
2 cups diced (1/2-inch) day-old baguette
1 cup diced gruyere cheese
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Trim off both ends of the eggplants. Cut them crosswise in half, then cut each half lengthwise in half, so you have 8 pieces.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil on a baking sheet and put the eggplant slices cut side down in the oil. Sprinkle with salt. Bake the eggplant for 25 minutes, until tender. Flip once. Remove from the oven.
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Process the diced bread and cheese in a food processor for about 30 seconds, until coarsely chopped.
Arrange the baked eggplant pieces in a gratin dish, alternating them with the tomato slices. Sprinkle each layer with thyme, chives, salt and pepper. Toss the bread and cheese mixture with the evoo and spread on top of the vegetables. The gratin can be prepared to this point hours ahead.
Bake the gratin uncovered for 30 minutes or until crusty and brown. Serve and enjoy!
I brought the Eggplant-Tomato Gratin dish to my Aunt Marie’s house for a luncheon. I was a bit nervous because I had never done this and I couldn’t taste-test beforehand. Well… let me tell you… All of my cousins and Aunts were ranting and raving about it! The Eggplant-Tomato Gratin was a success and everyone was asking for the recipe (Thank you Rob!). Give this one a try with your homegrown eggplants, it will not disappoint!
So, you have more herbs growing in your garden than you know what to do with right? We can dry, store, and save for our winter soups but fresh is best. This may be the number one reason why we love to garden – seasonally harvested foods just taste superior.
There are many ways to incorporate the vibrant flavors of herbs into our meals. Some take time though. This summer, I’ve been using herbs in a simple way. And that is the Sicilian way.
The core of Italian cooking emphasizes local or homegrown ingredients. This approach highlights the natural flavors of ingredients without overly complex preparation, allowing the quality of the produce to shine. The relaxed Sicilian style of cooking is a reflection of the island’s traditional approach to food, where the focus is on capturing the essence of the Mediterranean bounty.
Here are some simple ways to implement homegrown herbs into your daily meals:
Breakfast – Chop fresh herbs and mix into eggs for an omelet or top hard-boiled eggs. Use plenty of salt and pepper to bring out the rich flavor of parsley, chives and basil. Soften a bar of cream cheese or butter, then mix in minced herbs. Use the upgraded spread on a warm bagel – so good! Top avocado toast with a sprinkle of herbs like cilantro or tarragon for a fresh twist. Make an herb smoothie by blending in mint or basil with banana, apple and mango, oh my! Even easier – mix salt, mint and basil into a bowl of fruit salad.
Lunch and Dinner – Whip up an herb dressing in advance and use it on salads or proteins of all kinds. This is one of my favorite ways (infusion) to get the most flavor from garden-fresh herbs. Below is my go-to base for dressing. With this, add herbs from your garden. Different combinations will create very different flavor profiles!
Homemade Herb Dressing
Makes 3 cups
Ingredients: 2 large cloves of garlic minced, 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard, salt and pepper, 1 cup of 3 acids (white vinegar, red vinegar, lemon), 2 cups olive oil, herbs to taste.
Directions: Combine all ingredients and then slowly whisk in the 2 cups of oil.
For dinner, I recently made a simple pasta with butter, romano cheese, chopped parsley, basil, oregano, fresh black pepper and salt. It was delicious! Or try herb-marinated vegetables and fire up the grill. Make a quick Caprese salad with tomatoes, basil, and thyme from the garden. Cook up a grilled cheese sandwich layered with herbs for an indulgent meal.
Dessert: You can make homemade herb ice cream from scratch… or you can grab the Breyers from the freezer and mix in mint and sage! For movie night, pop, popcorn and sprinkle with a dry mix of salted lavender. Buy cheesecake from the bakery and adorn it with complementary herbs like lemon thyme, basil, or lavender (great hack if you’re having company.) Mix minty herbs into whipped cream and top a brownie. Combine fresh herbs into any batter, homemade or store-bought, and make it your own.
With a bit of experimentation, you can create new, unique flavorings by simply adding fresh herbs to all of your meals.
by Paula D.
on September 21, 2023 10:25 am in DIY
At this point in the season, many of your gardens are past full boom. Leaving these shrubs and flowers can offer many benefits. There is a natural beauty and texture to dried or faded flowers that adds a unique and rustic charm to your garden. Keep them even through the winter for visual interest when many other plants have gone dormant or lost their leaves. Birds will feed on seeds from dried flower heads—a very important source of food for our flying friends. Dried flower heads in your garden will promote a diverse ecosystem by providing habitats for beneficial insects like ladybugs, lacewings, and other pollinators. Leaving some flowers to mature and produce seeds allows you to collect and save seeds for future planting. These seeds will also naturally self-seed your garden.
I like the long dramatic shape of this plant and I chose a color that matched my living room!
It is a balancing act though. Removing spent flowers can encourage new growth and prolong the blooming season of certain plants. Consider a combination of deadheading and leaving some flowers for the benefits I mentioned above.
With the plants you decide to remove, I have a fun little crafting project for you. Create a dried flower bouquet. Here’s what you’ll need:
Dried Flower Display
Supplies:
Dried flowers with stems and branches and/or small tree branches
Spray paint (as many colors as you like)
Cardboard or a drop cloth.
A vase
Gloves/masks
Process: Choose interesting past bloom flowers with stems from your garden. If you don’t have a home garden, forage for flowers and branches on the roadside. The organics need to be completely dry. So collect this material a few days in advance of starting the project.
A young country girl named Susan fell in love with a sailor. When he had to leave for a long sea voyage, she promised to remain faithful and wait for his return. As time passed, Susan began to doubt his loyalty and her heart saddened. While standing in a meadow, she plucked the petals from a daisy, saying, “He loves me, he loves me not,” to determine whether her love would return. The daisy’s petals provided no answer.
I spotted a patch of Black-Eyed Susans at Edgemere Farm last Sunday at the Domingo World Event. Pictured here is m i c c a and the Bucket Heads performing within the yellow meadow. How lovely!
Then, she noticed a beautiful, bright yellow wildflower with a dark center nearby, which she had never seen before. As she was about to pluck its petals, her sailor suddenly appeared, having returned from his journey. The sight of the striking flower in her hand made him smile, and he affectionately referred to “their” flower as “Black-Eyed Susan.” The flower, with its yellow petals and dark center, became a symbol of true love and fidelity in English folklore.
The flower’s connection to the seas and the sailor’s return / enduring love captured the imagination of poet John Gay, and his poem titled “Black-Eyed Susan” popularized the flower and its symbolism of love and devotion.
You will see Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) throughout Rockaway in gardens or on the roadside this time of year. They seed themselves so easily close to the sea. A wind must have brought the wildflower to the Beach 91st Street Community Garden. I deadheaded some a few years back and brought the seeds into my backyard. And since, I have Black-Eyed Susans blooming without any effort on my part. I clip them and make bouquets, bringing bright yellow joy inside my home.
Detail of a Black-Eyed Susan with striking burnt orange, two-toned pedals.
Sometimes you’ll hear the flower referred to as a cornflower for its distinct dark center cones surrounded by bright yellow and orange petals. They are part of the sunflower family – this is evident by their similar appearances. Rudbeckia are hardy wildflowers requiring little care. They thrive in full sun and need minimal water. Clip the dried flower heads and save the seeds. Sow them anytime and you will grow a field of golden flowers for the birds, insects, pollinators, and your love-struck seafarings neighbors.
I have many Black-Eyed Susan seeds. If you’d like some, reach out to me on Instagram @theglorifiedtomato.
