"...Not all those who wander are lost..."
-J.R.R. Tolkien
I finally got in my first hike of the year! This was one of my New Years resolutions; to go out and get some hiking done. I live right next door to the glorious Rocky Mountains, and I can honestly say that in recent years, I have not taken advantage of it as I should have been doing. I went on lots of camping trips as a kid, but I never really explored as many areas as I could.
It's funny though, because halfway up a mountain the same thought always comes to my head.
"Why am I doing this and what part of it is fun?"
But then I finish my climb, reaching the tip of a mountain, I let out a big sigh and enjoy the world around me. Every single time, it was worth the grueling and strenuous climb. Every single time. This time was no different.
The top of the mountain we reached had gale force winds that almost had enough power to send you tumbling off the top. The occasional bursts of snow and rain would pepper your eyes and legs, leaving stinging reminders about the natural world. And while some of yo may wonder why someone would endure all that misery, I can honestly say that I had never felt more alive. Cold... but alive. Definitely worth the climb.
Do you live next to some sort of natural beauty that you don't take advantage of? I know I'm not the only one!
This recipe comes from the book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It's all about how her family chose only eat foods raised in their neighbourhood and by themselves. It's a fairly interesting read and has some good recipes throughout the book. I'm not sure I absolutely love it though, so look elsewhere if looking for a better review, I'm not sure I can supply it.
Regardless, partway through this book is a very interesting recipe called Eggplant Papoutzakia, which basically means stuffed eggplant. This cookbook lacks pictures, so I imagined a totally different recipe in my head. This one involves an eggplant sliced once in half, not the 6-8 times that I sliced it. It's a totally different recipe that way. My wonderful mistake. So mine is more of a eggplant Papoutzakia casserole and involves thin slices of eggplant with all the goods piled on top, instead of two halves of eggplant stuffed. Make sense?
So if your Greek and I've irritated your sensibilities, I deeply apologize. I will try better next time! Until that time, I hope that you can enjoy this recipe as I did!
Eggplant Papoutzakia Casserole
Eggplant - 1 large (about 2 pounds)
Olive Oil
Onions - 2, diced
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Tomatoes - 2, diced
Nutmeg -2 tsps
Salt and Pepper - a healthy pinch
Mozzarella Cheese- 3/4 cup, grated
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the eggplant lengthwise, about a 1/2" thick. Pat dry with paper towel.
Heat a large skillet to medium heat and add olive oil. Saute the eggplant slices lightly and remove when just starting to soften. Set aside.
Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and let warm up. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until softened. Add the tomato and spices and mix thoroughly.
In a large casserole dish, lay the slices of eggplant across the bottom. Add the tomato mixture to the top and spread over the eggplant. Cover with an even layer of mozzarella cheese then sprinkle on salt and pepper.
Place in the oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.
