The Fruit Market: Part Deux

Well, what an adventure it is to go the fruit market. If you remember from my last visit, I was run down by an old lady wanting the reduced produce. Well, I went again on Thursday and once again headed right for the 'reject' table. Yet another older woman (could have been the same one for all I know) was grabbing the veggie basket. I was bummed, but then just as I grabbed a basket full of bananas, she puts an eggplant from her basket into mine! Then another, I was thrilled! Well, this is when things turned, let's say, a little odd. Her husband was there standing right next to her, he looked like the kind of guy that rolls cigarettes into the sleeves of his T-shirts, but anyway he was none too thrilled that she was giving away the eggplant. Just as she was ready to give me a third eggplant (and the smile on my face was getting bigger with each one!) he grabbed her arm and pulled it back. With a voice the devil would be afraid of, he says, "Put that G-D eggplant back in our basket". WHOA. I was taken aback, was that necessary over an eggplant? So I said, "Geez. It's an eggplant" and was about to get on my way to the full priced produce and the woman looked at me and under her breath said, "I don't know why he wants it, he doesn't even like eggplant". So, clearly all he wanted was to get his money's worth. He didn't care if it was going to rot, he didn't want anyone else to benefit from getting an extra eggplant. Wow. I'd hate to see what he's like at home, but I'm pretty sure I have an idea. So, anyway I got two eggplants and then didn't know what to do with them. I brainstormed and came up with "Eggplant Parmesan Pizza". Rachel Ray always makes dishes that are two different meals and she turns them into one meal. So I decided to give it a try, with a less annoying voice. Now, this recipe was no 30 minute meal! I made the dough. I thinly sliced the eggplant and covered it with spices (basil, oregano, etc.) and then baked it for about 15 minutes until it got really tender. Took it out of the oven and sprinkled parm cheese on it. In the mean time I made my own sauce out of crushed tomatoes (thanks, Cherie!) and added spices. When it was time to assemble the pizza, I had a hard time getting the dough to be a round shape! So, I just went with whatever shape it wanted to be! Then I added the sauce, baked eggplant, mozzarella cheese, parm cheese and then topped it with Panko breadcrumbs (I will never use any other kind of breadcrumbs, ever! I love them!) for the 'crunchy' part without frying the eggplant. Yummy. Yum. Yum!!



It was delicious! I had no idea how far one eggplant would stretch, but two of them sliced up went a looooong way! So I had extra baked eggplant and Mason and I were just dipping it into the homemade sauce! It was so good!

Well, I can't wait to see what the next trip to the fruit market holds...