Stuffed Eggplant

With our eggplants finally growing in our garden, we wanted to come up with a few creative ways to eat them so that we do not get bored with them. Here is a recipe that is a play on stuff tomatoes or zucchini, or as the French like to say Tomates Farcies.

Ingredients

• Eggplants
• Tomatoes
• Garlic 
• Basil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cheese (Burrata - goat cheese or sheep cheese for a different flavor. We suggest only choosing one of these cheeses)
• Day old bread or oats (for a healthier option stick with the oats)
• Milk (We went with soy milk)
• Parmesan 
• Olive Oil

Steps

1. Blanch the eggplant in hot water for a few minutes; take out of water and let them cool.
2. Soak day old bread in warm milk (or soy milk) and set aside. We decided to use oats instead of bread. 
3. When ready to handle, cut each eggplant in half. Scoop out the 'meat' of the eggplant.
4. Keep the skin of the eggplant and set aside on a baking dish.
5. Take the 'meat' of the eggplant and blend together with garlic, olive oil, burrata (or cheese of your choice), basil, salt, and pepper (to taste). 
6. Then add to eggplant mixture, your soak bread or oats, and pulse once. 
7. Take this mixture and scoop it back into the eggplant skins that you set aside earlier. 
8. Meanwhile make a classic tomato sauce.
9. Pour this tomato sauce over your now stuffed eggplants.
10. Sprinkle the top with parmesan. 
11. Bake the eggplant for 20 minutes at about 390F. 
12. Serve hot with rice or quinoa - Bon Appetit!

Photos by Ava Henderson

Written by Isabelle Henderson