Market Meals: Melanzane Ripiene (Stuffed Italian Eggplant)

Stuffed vegetables are awesome meals because you mix a few ingredients and serve it in its baking dish - often a green pepper or mushroom cap - and it's a cinch to clean up to and make's great leftovers.

As we're getting into autumn, squashes will become ever more present at the market - but, eggplant also makes for a good vessel for stuffing.

This recipe is from the Fresh Farms website, where you can input your ingredients and get several recipe ideas from area chefs.

Carmine Marzano, chef and owner of Ristorante Luigino in New York City wrote this stuffed eggplant recipe.

It's adjusted to maximize ingredients from the Riverdale Park Farmers Market.

Ingredients:

4 Italian eggplant (TGIF, Musachio Farms and Earth Spring)
4 tablespoons olive oil (Greek oil vendor if available)
1/2 onion(s), chopped finely (Earth Spring, Musachio Farms)
2 cloves of garlic, minced (Earth Spring, Musachio)
4 ounces sausage, pork (Stachowski Brand, Groff's Content)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 egg(s) (Groff's Content, TGIF, Ferry Landing)
1 pinch dry marjoram
1 teaspoons parsley, chopped
salt
pepper(s)
Parmesan cheese, grated, as garnish

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and score around the outside with a sharp knife, being careful not to pierce the shell.
2. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon.
3. Poach the eggplant shells for about 45 seconds in boiling water, and set aside to cool off.
4. Chop the flesh of the eggplant and set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the onion until translucent.
6. Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
7. Add the chopped eggplant and sausage and cook for about ten minutes. Set aside while the filling cools off.
8. Mix the eggplant and sausage with the Parmesan cheese, eggs and herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Fill the eggplant halves with a pastry bag or spoon and sauteon both sides in a skillet with olive oil for about two minutes or bake in a 350 degrees oven for 15 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4