Roasted Eggplant Gratin with Herbs and Cream

Thanks to Farmhouse Table for this delightful recipe and reference to its author, Edna Lewis, the granddaughter of a former slave. According to her 2006 obituary in the New York Times, Edna's cookbooks "revived the near-forgotten genre of refined Southern cooking." harrumph These simple, flavorful, comforting dishes may have gone out of favor in New York and other far-flung places. To those of us who were born to this place and time, they are the essence of home and unforgettable.

Eggplant Gratin with Herbs and Creme Fraiche

Ingredients

2 medium to large eggplant, sliced 1/2″ thick
Salt & pepper
Olive oil
1 quart simple tomato sauce
3 tablespoons minced chives
3 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoons thyme leaves
12 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper.  Brush lightly with olive oil.  Roast until starting to tan lightly. Turn and roast a few minutes more until both sides are golden.

2. While eggplant is roasting, prepare the cream sauce. Pour cream in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Reduce volume to about 1 cup, then stir in half of the grated parmesan and all of the chopped herbs. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

3. Oil a 9″ casserole or gratin pan and place eggplant inside in a single layer.  Cover with a thin layer of simple tomato sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan.  Make two more layers of eggplant and sauce, covering the top with tomato sauce.  Ladle over the reduced cream and sprinkle on a final layer of parmesan cheese.

4. Bake uncovered until browned and bubbling, about 25-30 minutes.  Let rest briefly before serving. Also delicious at room temperature.

Simple Tomato Sauce

Is it tomato season yet? When plum tomatoes are not yet available or gone for the season at the farmers' market, this easy, delicious basic sauce (sugo di pomodoro semplice) fills the bill. Use superior-quality canned tomatoes and good olive oil for best results.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
Two 28-oounce cans diced tomatoes with juice
Kosher or fine sea salt
5 large fresh basil leaves, shredded or torn
 
Instructions

1. Warm the garlic in the olive oil in a large saucepan placed over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to press down on the garlic to release its flavor and then swirl the pan to infuse the oil.

2. When the garlic gets fragrant and begins to "speak," i.e., sizzle, but before it starts to brown, carefully pour in the tomatoes to avoid oil spatter and stir to coat with the oil.

3. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, raise the heat to medium-high and bring the tomatoes to a simmer. When the juices start bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the tomatoes simmer uncovered, stirring from time to time, for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the oil has separated from the tomatoes.

4. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil. Taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.

This chunky tomato sauce may be stored in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Excerpted from The Glorious Pasta of Italy by Domenica Marchetti

Local Farm Bills Need Your Support

Time is running VERY short for these bills! They MUST be voted on by the Senate by Wednesday, May 22...or they die.

ACTION #1: Call your State Senator to vote “YES” on HB 970, 1382, and 1392. Find your Senator: 512-463-4630 or www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us

ACTION #2: Call Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst 512-463-0001 & urge him to bring these bills to a vote ASAP.

More info on the bills & *sample message* you can use when you contact your Senator and the Lieutenant Governor:
--> http://bit.ly/tx-local-food

OT: Update on West, Texas Recovery

This is off topic but since many Fresh fans contributed to Austin Bakes for West, Texas, I thought you'd be interested in this report from WTAW News Talk radio in the Brazos Valley.

In a May 5 Town Hall, survivors of the West explosion were told that 100 tons of debris was taken away last weekend by 600 volunteers putting in a combined 4,000 hours.

Mayor Tommy Muska added the city council has approved the use of trailers as temporary housing for one year, until May 2014. Muska says West “is not turning into a trailer park.”

Muska was among many people who stressed that residents take all assistance available from FEMA. “Don’t be shy and don’t let pride get in the way here. If I can sign up with them you can too. Promise me that because this is not the time to be proud.”

Survivors also heard from those still involved in recovery efforts from wildfires in Bastrop County nearly two years ago.

Bastrop resident, Paige Webb, gave advice intended to help West residents clear hurdles learned the hard way in Bastrop. Among them, keep receipts for everything, “including Taco Bell”. She said her Bastrop neighborhood qualified for a HUD grant to build 121 houses. But only 17 would be built because of a lack of receipts and mortgages that were paid off instead of using settlement checks to rebuild.

Muska says the city council is working with the Waco Foundation and Catholic charities to develop a formula to best distribute money coming from private and individual donations.

Stay strong, West. Keep on keeping on. It gets better.