Eggplant Squash Surprise Recipes

TOMATO, SQUASH AND EGGPLANT GRATIN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Oil a 2-quart rectangular or oval baking dish.
• Combine the vegetables in a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the olive oil, chopped rosemary and thyme leaves and toss gently.
• Arrange the vegetables in rows in the baking dish in this order: tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, squash slice, onion slice, tomato slice, eggplant slice, tomato slice, etc. Each slice of eggplant should have a tomato slice on either side. The vegetables should not be lying flat; they should be arranged in the dish as if you had stacked them, then lay the whole stack in the dish, all of the rounds slanting slightly to one side. Insert the herb sprigs into the dish. Pour any juice left in the bowl on top. Cover tightly with foil.
• Place in the oven and bake 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until the vegetables are thoroughly tender and lightly colored on the edges.

EGGPLANT, YELLOW SQUASH AND TOMATO CASINO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cut off ends and slice in half lengthwise both the eggplants and yellow squash. Lay cut side up and close together on a small greased sheet pan. Then cut the tops and a very small piece of the bottom off the Roma tomatoes and stand them up with the squash.
• Sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, garlic powder, bacon bits, peppers, and onions.
• Next, carefully pile high the Parmesan over every piece, drizzle with olive oil, and bake for about 12 minutes, or until they start to turn golden brown. Serve immediately.

EGGPLANT AND SQUASH ALLA PARMIGIANA

Steps:

• Trim the stems from the eggplant and squash. Slice the vegetables lengthwise, no more than 1/4-inch thick. Spread the slices on one or more cooling racks, dust with salt on both sides and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté on low until translucent, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the tomatoes, pepper and bay leaf and cook, breaking up the tomatoes, a few minutes. Reduce heat and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes more. Remove bay leaf and check seasoning.
• Rinse eggplant and squash slices and pat them dry. Dredge lightly with flour. Heat 3 to 4 tablespoons oil in a large skillet. Fry the eggplant and squash until lightly browned, in several shifts, placing fried slices on paper towel to drain.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 10-inch glass pie plate with oil. Spread a very thin layer of the tomato sauce in the pie plate. Add a layer of the eggplant, cutting slices to fit if necessary. Try to arrange them like spokes of a wheel. Spread a little more sauce over them, then the squash slices, then the mozzarella and another layer of eggplant. Finish with the remaining sauce, the Parmigiano-Reggiano and the parsley.
• Bake about 30 minutes, until bubbling and lightly browned on top. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

EGGPLANT AND SQUASH CURRY

Steps:

• For fresh tomatoes:
• Score the skins with a sharp knife in an X on the bottom of each tomato. Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds, then transfer to ice water bath to cool. Peel, halve, and slice tomatoes, and reserve.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Toss the squash with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Arrange the squash on a baking sheet and roast 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and brown at edges.
• Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet with tight fitting lid. Add the peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and season with salt and pepper, sweat out the vegetables a few minutes then add the eggplant, curry, chile powder, and cardamom. Stir to toast and combine, then cover the pot and cook 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is tender. Stir in the roast squash, tomatoes, chutney, and stock. Cool and store for make-ahead meal.
• If serving immediately, start the rice a few minutes after the squash goes into the oven. Otherwise, reheat the curry over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes after you start cooking the rice. To prepare the rice, follow package directions adding lime zest or leaves to water before rice, add the scallions to the rice and lime juice when the rice is done and you fluff with fork.
• Serve curry on bed of lime and green onion rice with extra chutney for mixing in.

SQUASH, EGGPLANT AND TOMATO TIAN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Halve one peeled garlic clove and rub the bottom of a large baking dish with the cut side of the garlic. Coat the bottom of the dish with 2 tablespoons oil.
• Arrange vegetables in the dish, alternating them and overlapping them. Season with salt and pepper as you layer the vegetables. Scatter thyme on top and drizzle with remaining oil to coat generously. Add remaining garlic cloves, sliced, evenly over the top.
• Bake 25 minutes, then baste vegetables with the oil. Continue baking until tender and browned in places, about 25 minutes more. Serve warm.

EGGPLANT (AUBERGINE) -SQUASH CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Parboil eggplant and squash for two minutes, drain and set aside.
• Heat margarine in sauce pan.
• Saute onion, bell pepper and celery for 5 minutes.
• Add garlic, cook 2 minutes more.
• Add salt black pepper and flour.
• Stir until flour is absorbed.
• Stir in the cream and cheese.
• Remove from heat.
• Add mushrooms to the eggplant-squash mixture.
• Stir in the cream mixture.
• Turn into a lightly buttered 2 quart baking dish.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
• Sprinkle evenly with bread crumbs and bake another 15 minutes or until browned.
• Makes 8 servings.