I made this on 8/1/12, from our Applehood and Motherpie cookbook. Irene loved it, and asked me to make it again next week in Maine. Erika K was visiting, and she loved it too, and requested the recipe.
I usually don't care for eggplant, but this was terrific.
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tsp salt
3/4 c olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into thin strips
1 medium zucchini, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch chunks or sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp oregano (I used fresh from the garden, about 1/2 tsp)
3/4 tsp basil (I used 3 leaves fresh from the garden)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
9 in. pastry shell, unbaked (extra pie crust dough for lattice top optional)
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 large tomato, seeded ant cut into eighths
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1 Tbl milk
1. Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place between paper towels. Weight down with heavy cutting board for 30 minutes.
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet.
3. Cut eggplant slices into cubes. Add to hot oil, toss.. Cook until tender, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes). Remove eggplant and set aside.
4. Pour remaining oil into skillet. Add onion, green pepper, zucchini, and garlic. Cook just until tender (about 5 minutes).
5. Combine spices and salt. Set aside.
6. Line a 9-inch pie plate with pastry. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese.
7. Spoon half the eggplant and half the vegetable mixture into pie shell. Layer with half of the tomato wedges, half of the spice mixture, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat these layers.
8. Sprinkle top with all but 1 Tbl of remaining Romano or Parmesan cheese.
If you cook it at this point, the mozarella cheese makes a great browned crust.
Or, you can make a lattice crust with the extra pie crust dough, and then sprinkle it with milk and remaining 1 Tbl Romano or Parmesan cheese.
9. Bake for 25 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
425 degree oven.
Serves 6.
