Bill's RecipesEggplant Tomato CasseroleServes 812 small Italian or baby eggplants Coarse salt 6 large ripe tomatoes 4 large cloves of garlic, cut into slivers 2 bunches fresh basil, stems removed ½ cup olive oil Coarse ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 6 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 tablespoons dried thyme ¼ cup coarsely chopped parsley Preheat oven to 425º. Remove stems and cut eggplants in half lengthwise. Cut tomatoes in½ inch slices. Sprinkle both with salt and let rest on a paper towel for 30 minutes to release moisture. Pat dry. Make a 2 inch slit lengthwise on the cut side of each eggplant half. Into the slits insert garlic slivers and a basil leaf, pushing it well in. Place the eggplants, skin down, on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with ¼ cup oil and sprinkle with the pepper. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce oven to 350º. Place half the eggplant halves and half the tomato slices in rows in the bottom of an oven-proof dish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover evenly with half of the cheese and thyme. Cover completely with a layer of whole basil leaves and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Repeat with another layer as above. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons of the parsley. Cover dish lightly with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove
foil and bake for 10 minutes more, until vegetables are very tender.
Garnish with the remaining parsley. Serve hot or at room temperature.
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