Stuffed eggplant - country cooking

4 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 mediums Eggplants (1 1/2 lb)
1¼ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Pine nuts
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1 cup Finely chopped onion
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 Plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
⅓ cup Dried currants
1 tablespoon Drained capers
½ teaspoon Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Chopped fresh parsley leaves
½ teaspoon Red-wine vinegar

Directions

1. Cut eggplants lengthwise in half. With sharp knife make 6 lengthwise slits into flesh of each half, cutting deeply but not piercing skin. Reserve ¼ t salt. To extract bitterness, sprinkle remaining salt over cut sides of eggplant halves, allowing salt to fall into slits. Place eggplant halves, flesh side down, in colander.

Set aside at least 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat pine nuts until golden brown; set aside. In same skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; saute until onion is golden. Stir tomatoes, currants, capers, pepper, and reserved ¼ t salt into onion mixture. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until tomatoes soften-10 to 12 minutes. Add 2 T parsley, the remaining 1 T oil, the reserved pine nuts, and the vinegar to mixture; stir to blend.

3. Heat oven to 350'F. lightly oil baking sheet. Pat eggplant flesh dry. (If necessary, trim a thin slice from skinside of halves so they will stand up and not lean when stuffed with vegetable mixture.) Top each eggplant half with one quarter of vegetable mixture. With spoon, force some of mixture into lengthwise slits. Place stuffed halves on prepared sheet; cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer.

4. Sprinkle eggplant halves with remaining parsley.

Country Cooking/Summer/94 Scanned & fixed by Di and Gary

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