End of Summer

Frozen

Where I live, the weather managed to turn from Indian summer to winter within an hour.   We knew that winter would eventually come, so we enjoyed the summer weather to the fullest.  In a short weekend, we were able to take family photos, see Picasso's, be awed by Chihuly, eat egg free egg rolls, celebrate a friend’s success with her art studio, make Eggplant Parmesan, and then prepared to shovel snow.

Lovin' Those Glasses

After surviving our family photos, we decided to check out the local art’s center exhibit that had real Picasso, Matisse, and Chagall works.  It was a treat to see these masterpieces and we had fun fielding questions from our children about why everyone was naked (in the pictures, not the museum).  We left to check out the celebration of our friend’s art studio and had a great time at Sage Art Academy! Congratulations Kim!  We were planning on being gone all afternoon and evening so we planned ahead for our child with food allergies.  We grabbed dinner at the pizzeria and brought along a heated dinner in a thermos for our son.

Our Picnic Spot

The next morning, I was feeling ambitious and decided that we should all drive 100 miles away from home to check out the Chihuly glass exhibit at the Denver Botanical Gardens.  Again, we used some of our 'tools’ from my past link and packed a lunch for everyone and enjoyed a picnic surrounded by beautiful gardens and glass.

We had a deadline for getting back to town as we had a dinner party at a neighbor’s home.   They are Chinese and made a beautiful meal that everyone could enjoy knowing that our children had food allergies.  My daughter was able to enjoy an egg roll for the first time due to Ajin's skills and knowledge of Chinese cooking and her big heart!  My daughter was so happy and went back for seconds. 

We finished the weekend with a meal of homemade Eggplant Parmesan.  I did make this version with cheese, but I fried eggplant separately for my son.  I have made multiple versions of Eggplant Parmesan over the last few months and it’s never the same combination of vegetables.  One time I added cherry tomatoes, another time it was green tomatoes.  Another, mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes. Either way, the eggplant is essential.  Here is the recipe:

2 medium sized eggplants, peeled, sliced into rounds ¼-1/2 inch thick.

2 cups of Gluten free bread crumbs

¼ cup milk (or rice milk)

2 TBSP butter or butter alternative

1 jar of spaghetti sauce, divided

8 -12 ounces of mozzarella cheese, divided

Vegetables-your choice.

Eggplant Parm with Cherry Tomatoes

Place eggplant slices in a colander in single layers, generously salting the eggplant on each layer.  Allow the eggplant to rest for at least 45 minutes.  Salting the eggplant will allow some of the bitterness to be leached out.  You should see a big puddle of brown juice underneath the colander.  Rinse the eggplant well.  Dry each slice of eggplant with a tea towel or paper towels. 

Melt the butter in the milk and place in a shallow dish.  In another dish, place the breadcrumbs and add 1/3 cup of parmesan or alternative cheese.  The cheese can also be omitted.

In a large, non-stick pan, add 2 TBSP of canola oil and heat.

Place the eggplant in the milk and butter mixture and dredge in the breadcrumb, then add to pan once the oil is hot. It’s ready when water sizzles when dripped into the pan.

Fry each slice of eggplant, adding canola oil with each series of frying eggplant and set aside.  Once all of the eggplant in cooked, the dish can be assembled. 

First, place a thin layer of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the pan.  Add a layer of eggplant so that the bottom of the pan is covered.  Next add a layer of additional vegetables, sauce, then top with cheese.  Repeat with a layer of eggplant, vegetables, sauce, and cheese.  Remember, this dish can be made without cheese.  It's super rich and creamy due to the fried eggplant.  Cheese can always be added.

Bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Allow the dish to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.