August 3, 2014 Eggplant Parmesan on spaghetti with purslane and pesto and caprese salad

August 3, 2014 Eggplant Parmesan on spaghetti with purslane and pesto and caprese salad

Suzette worked in the garden and I worked in the house this morning after our usual bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches .  At 4:30 we drove to Costco for a few items such as rice to fill bags for Suzette's new ceramics project at the Center.  We also bought a half filet of salmon, eggs, salami, ground beef, mozzarella cheese and blue cheese.

When we came home Suzette wanted to cook the newly picked white eggplant from our garden with pasta.  We finally decided to make eggplant parmesan, because that is our other favorite way to cook eggplant.  I was still working but sliced the eggplant into our agreed thickness of 3/8 inch thick slices.

Recipe: Eggplant Parmesan

Suzette battered the eggplant by dipping it into egg and then panko bread crumbs and sautéed the battered slice in 1/4 inch of oil. When the slices of eggplant were cooked to golden brown, she removed them to a piece of paper towel and placed them on a plate in a warm oven to keep warm.

She had set a large pot of water to a boil and when it boiled dropped a handful of spaghetti into it.

While the spaghetti was cooking Suzette picked purslane and basil leaves from our garden and driveway chopped the purslane.

She then sliced the two Brandywine tomatoes we bought at the Farmers’ Market yesterday and laid slices pf mozzarella and basil leaves on them and drizzled them with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to make the caprese salad.

 When the spaghetti was boiled, Suzette drained it and tossed it with some of the chili pesto she had made last year and the purslane.  She then filled a platter with the pesto pasta and laid the fried parmesan eggplant slices on top to make an attractive platter of food.

Suzette  has a great sense of what wine is really good and she requested that we drink an bottle of the 2010 Marchesi Castello de Monastero Chianti Superiore, so I went to the basement and fetched a bottle.

We enjoyed this light meatless dinner in the garden and then took a tour of the garden to admire the work that Suzette had done, which included pulling some of the more aggressive plants that were blocking the sun and nutrients from our young squash plants and then fertilizing them to spur them to grow. 

After dinner we watched Masterpiece Theatre as I drank a glass of lemoncello.

Later I ate a bowl of clafoutis and Suzette ate a bowl of ice cream.

Bon Appétit