Eggplant Parmesan

I grew up in the midwest and my dad was an avid gardener, so in the summer, I occasionally crave a simple dinner of fried eggplant, corn on the cob and sliced tomatoes. It's not summer here - it's been cold, and it's starting to feel like it may never be summer again (although thankfully we're in the midst of a thaw, which is very welcome), but this eggplant parmesan recipe makes me feel like someday we might get there.

Last week someone in the department was heating up leftovers that smelled just like chicken parmesan, something I hadn't thought of in years, but that suddenly I HAD to have. I don't remember if it was Abe or I who thought of substituting eggplant, but the resulting dish reminds me of summer AND satisfies my need for cheesey, tomatoey, fried goodness.

We used gluten-free bread crumbs purchased at our local grocery store (some have better gluten-free sections than others). Simply slice the eggplant relatively thin (I like about 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices) and peel it if you don't like the skin. Then, dip the eggplant in egg (I think whites or egg beaters would work just as well), dip it in your gluten-free bread crumbs, and lay in a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil. It doesn't take much oil. If you find that your breading isn't sticking to the eggplant, doing a second dip in both egg and crumbs will thicken your breading and solve your problems. Cook over medium heat until crumbs are crisp and dry, and transfer to a plate with paper towels to soak up any excess oil, while you cook the remaining eggplant.

We like to melt a bit of fresh mozzarella on top (just stick it in the toaster oven), and then top the whole thing with tomato sauce. You could also bake the eggplant in a casserole with tomato sauce and getting something a bit saucier and closer to a moussaka.

Fabulous tomato sauce recipes abound - I like this one, from 101 cookbooks: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/five-minute-tomato-sauce-recipe.html. We use MUCH less olive oil (just enough to prevent the garlic from sticking), and skip the lemon zest, since we rarely have lemons around. 1970's Abe Lincoln just informed me that he usually adds onion to the sauce when we make it for eggplant parm, which he doesn't do when we make it for pizza. This sauce is great for pizza, eggplant parm, on pasta - pretty much everwhere! We like the Pastene brand of tomatoes, and we add a bit of rosemary, but you'll figure out how you like it after you make it a few times; it's addictive.