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Such a pretty eggplant. by Sarah Henning

We’re almost to the end of the CSA season. Not totally there yet, but we probably have a month to go if we’re super lucky. So sad.

But we’re enjoying it while we can.

And we totally enjoyed this week’s Rolling Prairie CSA cooking experiment, which was basically an eggplant parmesan and cheese lasagna combined into one minus the noodles, minus the parmesan.

Say what?

I found a recipe on one of my favorite blogs that happened to use thinly cut eggplant as the noodles in a lasagna. It also included mushrooms and a sneaky bit of cauliflower in a way that I thought might entice the kiddo.

It took some work (I made it on a weekend night), but it was totally worth it and we had enough leftovers for two more dinners. Plus, not only did it use our CSA eggplant, but it used our CSA garlic from a few weeks ago and an onion and our mushrooms (plus more that we bought to make it work) from this week.

Thus, this one has all the markings of a new family favorite. The kiddo even tried a bite. Yay for small victories.

One finished serving. by Sarah Henning

Eggplant and Goat Cheese Lasagna (from Detoxinista.com)

For the “noodles”:

1 large eggplant A splash of balsamic vinegar

For the “cauliflower ricotta”:

1 head cauliflower, or about 4-5 cups of florets

2 eggs

1/2 cup soft goat cheese (chevre)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

salt and pepper

For the mushroom “meat”:

1 teaspoon butter or coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

half of an onion, chopped

1 pound assorted mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

salt and pepper

For Assembling:

A jar of your favorite marinara sauce

Goat mozzarella, shredded (we just used more chevre because we couldn’t find this)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, like traditional lasagna, we must first prepare all of the layers.

For the noodles:

Using a mandolin, slice the eggplant lengthwise into thin strips. You may peel it first, if you like, but I took the easy route and left the skin on. Place the eggplant slices in a dish, and toss with a bit of balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice). Set aside to let marinate.

For the cauliflower ricotta:

Pulse the raw cauliflower florets in a food processor to make “rice.” Then steam, strain and squeeze out the excess moisture, leaving the cooked rice fairly dry. Transfer the strained cauliflower rice to a mixing bowl, and add in the two beaten eggs, goat cheese, oregano, and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well, and set aside.

For the mushroom “meat” layer:

In a skillet over medium-low heat, melt the butter or coconut oil and saute the garlic and chopped onions for about 5 minutes, or until translucent.

While the onions and garlic are cooking away, gently pulse the mushrooms in a food processor, until a “ground beef” like texture is achieved.

Add the ground mushrooms to the sauteed onions and garlic, and season with ground cumin, salt and pepper. Saute until tender. The mushrooms will release some moisture, so be sure to strain well after cooking, and set aside.

To Assemble:

Begin by adding a thin layer of marinara sauce to the bottom of your glass dish — this will prevent sticking.

Next, layer on the eggplant slices, followed by half of the cauliflower ricotta, followed by half of the mushroom meat, a drizzle of marinara sauce and a bit of shredded goat mozzarella.

Repeat the layers, then top it all off with a final layer of eggplant slices, topped with more marinara and shredded goat mozzarella.

A couple of layers... by Sarah Henning

Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes at 400 degrees.

The finished lasagna should be firm, with a crispy layer of cheese on top!

Slice and serve hot! Serves 8.

What’d we get this week? More eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, tat soi, lettuce mix and peppers.