Eggplant Gratin

I went to a local farm market and bought 2 of the biggest cauliflowers I have ever seen. They were 99 cents each! I also got two huge eggplants for the same price. Tomorrow I will show you what I did with the cauliflower.


I made eggplant gratin with the eggplants.


First make the the sauce. Dice a large onion. Saute it in a little olive oil.


Chop some large peeled and seeded tomatoes. Add them to the onions.


I added a bunch of chopped oven roasted tomatoes too because I wanted a more intense tomato flavor.


Add a bunch of fresh herbs.


Add 2 large cans of diced or crushed tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup of sugar.


Cook it over medium heat until it thickens. Remove the herbs and use an immersion blender to puree the sauce.


Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch pieces and fry it in olive oil until it just begins to soften.


Drain it on paper towels and crack sea salt and pepper over it.


Coat the bottom of a gratin dish with some sauce. Place eggplant skin side up in a row. Place a thin slice of Gruyere or Swiss cheese against the eggplant and then add a layer of sauce to the cheese. Repeat until the pan is full.


Spread a bit more sauce over the top.


Bake it at 350 degrees until the eggplant is cooked through. It takes about 1 1/2 hours.


Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Let it sit to reabsorb the liquid then serve.