Eggplant Parmesan with out the Parmesan

This year the Midwest got a late start in the planting department yet the recent rainy and warm weather has been amazing for my garden. For those of you who have been following this blog, you know that we have (had) 4 – 4 x 8 foot raised beds which provide us with an amazing bounty.  Last year we were forced to cut down our "wedding" elm tree, which resulted increased sun over the garden area.

Of course Dan immediately wanted to add 2 additional garden beds this year; one for tomato world and the other to sport a variety of peppers, cabbage and cauliflower plants – while I was a bit skeptical, I'm looking forward to the fall harvest – me thinks the freezer, pantry and the neighbors doorsteps will be full.

While I know it's not eggplant season here in Minnesota, I've been hungry for good Eggplant Parmesan – without the Parmesan or very little Parmesan. I was at my favorite grocery store last week and noticed some frozen lightly breaded eggplant, which seemed to call to me so that I could speed up the dinner process – so I decided to give it a try.

I pulled out my last pint of frozen tomato sauce from last years harvest to thaw and then sautéed onions, garlic and baby portabella mushrooms until soft. I added the tomato sauce and cooked for an additional 10 minutes until it was thick.

While the tomato sauce is reducing, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. To a baking dish, add a thin layer of the tomato, onion and mushroom sauce and top with the eggplant slices. Add the rest of the tomato sauce and top with some kind of cheese; Parmesan, non-dairy, soy or in my case sheep, goat or nut based and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the eggplant rest for 10 minutes.  Serve with a green or fruit (or both) salad. 

This weekend is Father's Day – if your dad is still around give him a hug and tell him how much you love him. I've learned that life is short - make the most of the time you have on the planet.

"This is the only dance we dance"  - Antonia's Line