Genesis 1:29 — And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

I admit I am not a great fan of eggplant, although that’s mainly because I never grew it on my own and rarely ate it except when it was battered and fried. Still, if I’m going to eat it I like it better this way. If I fry the eggplant, I use extra virgin coconut oil, which lends a nice taste, is healthy and keeps me from thinking about the fried food aspect of it. A few weeks ago someone asked about a good way to cook eggplant, so I decided to make available a recipe that is a little different. This recipe comes from “Simple Country Pleasures” Collection Cookbook. It has great flavor. Just add corn on the cob and you have a meal!

Vegetable Casserole

3 onions, sliced

2 green peppers, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 medium potatoes, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon basil

2 medium zucchinis, thickly sliced

1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced

1 small eggplant, sliced thin

3 large tomatoes, peeled and sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy casserole pan, sauté two of the onions in the oil until tender. Add the potatoes and cook until lightly browned. Add the zucchini and eggplant in two layers. Season with salt and pepper. Make a layer of the remaining onion slices and green pepper. Drizzle the tablespoon of olive oil over all and sprinkle with basil and garlic. Top with tomatoes and season again. Cover, bring to a boil and simmer gently about 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Serve hot, spooning down to the bottom to catch all layers.

This recipe comes from “Eating Your Way To Good Health” by Doug Kaufman. I admit I have not made this yet, but intend to as I have lots of eggplant leftover from the CSA basket we’ve been getting each week.

Onion-sautéed Eggplant

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

One 14 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, Italian style

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 2 tablespoons shredded, fresh basil

1 3/4-pound small eggplants

1 cup plain yogurt

Salt and fresh-ground pepper to taste

Cut eggplants crosswise into 3/8-inch slices. Heat oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or wide casserole dish. Add onions and sauté over medium heat for two minutes. Add eggplant, sprinkle with salt and cook until eggplant is coated with onion mixture, stirring constantly. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Stir in basil and pepper, top with yogurt and serve hot or cold.

Enjoy these good for you recipes. Until next time.

Alice Russell, also known as “Me Me,” is a guest columnist. Her email address is letstalkherbs@gmail.com.