Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
- Menemsha Village
  
  Posted at 7:41 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Aug 9th
  My exploration and love affair with Martha’s Vineyard, never sated, only increases each time I return bewitched by this magical island. The first time we visited Menemsha – the charming fishing village on Martha’s Vineyard named after the native American word meaning “still waters” – I immediately recognized the location as the shooting background for the fictional “Amity Island” of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film Jaws. Even before my first visit to Martha’s Vineyard I was enamored with the book and movie Jaws. I remember vividly late one night reading in bed the frightening opening in the book – far from the ocean still completely captivated by fear. In a dark movie theater with the perfect John Williams movie score, the opening scene did not disappoint as I was totally terrified again! You can imagine how thrilled I was to discover a reoccurring location in the film. I half expected to see Chief Brody walking the village!
  
  Beachgoers and tourists populate Basin Road along Menemsha harbor disguising the historic harbor which serves as a point of departure for local fishermen. I love to come here for some of the freshest fish on the island at Larson and Menemsha Fish Market. At Menemsha Fish Market Mandi, Dan and I can’t resist the hot lobs’ter roll; 1/3 pound lobster meat, butter, lemon on a grilled hot dog roll deliciously fresh, sweet, melt in your mouth lobster, lick your fingers good. While waiting for our lobs’ter rolls I pick out lobsters to be steamed which I’ll pick up before we leave for grilling at home.
  
  Shopping in the unique boutiques along the harbor is another activity I can’t resist when visiting Menemsha. A family favorite is Beetlebung where we love their iconic logo T’s and hats for adults and children. Our grandchild, Alexander, Charlotte, and Madeline, not to be excluded sport Beetlebung wear. Check out their colorful straw bags, an island must.
  
  I adore mermaids, obsessed, I am told. Imagine my joy when I discovered last year at Copper Works of Martha’s Vineyard their exquisite handcrafted weathered copper wall art only to be quickly disappointed as all the mermaids were sold out. This year I made sure I visited the shop earlier finding only one lonely mermaid which I couldn’t resist and is now perfectly at home on my living room wall.
  
  At Menemsha Deli inviting brightly painted outside picnic tables welcome you where inside you’ll find owner Cybele McCormick offering an assortment of freshly made sandwiches, all delectable creations not to be missed.
  
  Look for the sign with the mermaid holding the sub roll aloft and you’ve found the Menemsha Deli.
  
  Traveling down Basin Road you’ll find more retail shops including Menemsha Blues a relaxed clothing line taking inspiration from the sea surrounding the island with four stores on the island.
  
  Our trip to Menemsha is complete without a visit to Menemsha Beach. The beach is a little rocky with a pleasant, gentle surf as it faces north on the Vineyard Sound, rather than the Atlantic Ocean; the vistas from Menemsha Beach are beautifully breathtaking with sweeping views of Cuttyhunk and the rest of the Elizabeth Islands. On beautiful summer evenings, we’ll return to this premier spot enjoying a Martha’s Vineyard sunset.
  
  On our ride home still enchanted, never tiring, we plan our next visit to this quintessential New England fishing village, Menemsha.
  
  Lob’sters on the grill!
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Martha's Vineyard | Tagged artist studio, Jaws, lobsters, Menemsha, vacation
- Hydrangeas and Granddaughters
  
  Posted at 10:11 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 26th
  I’ve had a long love affair with hydrangeas. My grandmother and mother cultivated gardens overflowing with massive hydrangea plants and introduced me to the plants as a young girl. My mother called the large globe-shaped blooms snowballs, and I’d laugh with her about snowballs in the summer. I was hooked and my fascination continues to this day.
  
  At my house and vacation home, hydrangeas are my rock star, taking center stage. On Martha’s Vineyard where I have a vacation home, hydrangeas flourish in the sandy soil bathed in the nourishing sea air. A little Holly Tone in the spring and fall to fertilize is all that is needed to produce mammoth blooms.
  
  Now that I am a grandmother I am continuing the tradition and introducing my two granddaughters to my favorite flower. My very eager helpers enjoy learning about growing hydrangeas and they especially love cutting the blooms for indoor vases.
  
  On our family vacations at my home on Martha’s Vineyard, the girls help me cut blooms for vases. *
  
  Their arms are filled with copious blooms! And I enjoy sharing my gardening passion with Madeline and Charlotte and another generation of green-thump women are born!
  
  My granddaughters, enjoy choosing vases to display our blooms throughout the house!
  
  In the fall the blooms can be dried for winter arrangements filling my home with summer memories!
  
  *In order to extend blooms’ life, I seal the stems in boiling water. First, add mild dish soap to room temperature water in the vase – soap keeps bacteria away. Remove the leaves – they take up a lot of water. Cut the stems on an angle and cut up the stem so they can soak up more water. Dip stems in boiling water – this prevents sap from blocking stem.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Gardening, Gardens, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hydrangeas | Tagged Flowers, Gardening, grandaughters, Hydrangeas, Martha's Vineyard, preparing hydrangeas
- Sticky Buns
  
  Posted at 9:07 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jul 8th
  Growing up my mother made the most wonderfully delicious Cinnamon Buns or as we liked to call them, sticky buns. We’d anxiously wait for the dough to rise and for my mother to bake in a very hot oven. The aroma filled our house, lasting until we licked our fingers clean.
  
  Years ago my mother shared with me her recipe for her sweet yeast bread which I’ve incorporated into these absolutely scrupulous Sticky Buns. I made these for my children and now I introduced my grandchildren to my mother’s Sticky Buns.
  
  These delicious pastries are worth the time and effort to make from scratch. What I like is the recipe can be made ahead, in stages. Also, I have successfully frozen the baked buns, just defrost, and gently warm.
  
  Dough:
  
  1 cup milk at room temperature
  
  2 teaspoon yeast
  
  1/2 tablespoon sugar
  
  1 teaspoon salt
  
  2 egg
  
  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature, plus ½ tablespoon, melted
  
  3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  Topping:
  
  1¾ cups chopped pecans (about 8 ounces)
  
  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
  
  ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  
  ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  
  Filling:
  
  ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  
  ½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
  
  ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
  ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
  ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
  
  All-purpose flour (for dusting)
  
  1 large egg
  
  Coarse sea salt
  
  Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium or in a microwave until an instant-read thermometer registers 110°–115°. Transfer milk to a 2-cup measuring cup; stir in 1 Tbsp. sugar. Sprinkle yeast over milk and whisk to blend. Let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs; whisk until smooth. Combine flour, salt, and remaining sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add milk mixture. With the mixer running, add ½ cup room-temperature butter, 1 piece at a time, blending well between additions. Mix on medium speed 1 minute. Knead on medium-high speed until the dough is soft and silky, about 5 minutes.
  
  Brush a medium bowl with about 1 tsp. melted butter; place dough in the bowl. Brush top of the dough with remaining melted butter; cover with plastic wrap.
  
  Let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 2 hours.
  
  Chill dough 2 hours or overnight.
  
  Do Ahead: Dough, before the first rise, can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic; chill. Let rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 2–2½ hours.
  
  Topping
  
  Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast until fragrant and slightly darkened, 10–12 minutes. Let cool completely. Set 1¼ cups nuts aside for buns.
  
  Melt butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, cream, honey, salt, and orange zest, if using. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until glaze is golden brown and glossy, 3–4 minutes. Pour 1 cup glaze into the baking pan, tilting to coat bottom and sides. Set aside remaining glaze. Sprinkle ½ cup toasted pecans over bottom of the baking pan and let cool.
  
  Buns
  
  Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Set filling aside.
  
  Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 14×18″ rectangle about ¼” thick. Arrange dough on a work surface so 1 long side faces you. Spread cinnamon-sugar mixture over dough, leaving a 1″ border on the side farthest from you.
  
  Sprinkle ¾ cup chopped pecans over cinnamon-sugar mixture. Beginning with the long edge closest to you, roll dough into a log, tightening as you roll and patting in ends if they begin to taper. Pinch together the seam where the long side meets the roll to seal. Arrange log seam side down.
  
  Using a large knife, cut log crosswise into 12 pieces (lightly flour knife between slices if the dough is too sticky). Turn buns cut side up and gently pat top to flatten slightly. If needed, reshape to form round edges by cupping lightly floured hands around each bun and gently pushing and turning them in a circular motion. Transfer buns to prepared pan, spacing evenly apart (buns should not touch each other).
  
  Loosely cover the pan with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let buns rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, 45 minutes–1 hour, or 1½–2 hours if the dough has been chilled overnight.
  
  Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 450°. Whisk egg with ½ tsp. water in a small bowl. Brush tops of buns with egg wash. Bake, rotating pan halfway through and tenting with foil if browning too quickly until buns are golden brown, the filling is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Spoon remaining glaze over. Sprinkle ½ cup pecans over. Let cool in pan on a wire rack.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Pastry | Tagged cinnamon buns, pastries, Sticky buns
- Farm Fresh Grilled Vegetables
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 20th
  My town like many towns has a wonderful weekly farmer’s market each week where local farms sell fresh produce. Beautiful ripe heirloom tomatoes glistening with morning dew, the deepest aubergine eggplant, plump zucchini along with a red, orange, and yellow peppers just beckoning to be grilled.
  
  3 red peppers
  
  3 orange peppers
  
  3 yellow peppers
  
  2 large eggplants
  
  2 large zucchinis
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon fresh pepper
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
  1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
  
  1 tablespoon fresh french thyme, finely chopped
  
  Remove stems and seeds from peppers then slice in quarters. Slice eggplant and zucchini horizontally. Place vegetables in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and thyme. Pour over vegetables then toss. Let sit for 30 minutes to marinate flavors. Preheat grill. Grill vegetables turning every five minutes until tender. Arrange on a platter. Serve at room temperature. You can grill a day ahead and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Barbecue, vegetables,easy,, Farm Fresh Produce, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Easy recipe, farm fresh, Father's day, Grilled vegetables
- Mediterranean Potato Salad
  
  Posted at 7:33 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 7th
  Bright, colorful, farm-fresh vegetables make the most beautifully inviting salads that look beautiful and taste fantastic! I love multicolor petite potatoes, deep purple is my favorite color. Traditional mayonnaise-based potato salad is a classic staple in my summer salad repertoire that I will continue to make for summer gatherings. These past few years, I have added a light Mediterranean potato salad with my new favorite potatoes.
  
  Mediterranean Potato Salad
  
  1 package(1 pound) baby gourmet potatoes
  
  1 bunch scallions, chopped
  
  1/2 cup kalamata olives
  
  1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
  
  1/2 cup olive oil
  
  1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
  
  1 clove garlic, crushed
  
  1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  
  1/4 cup crumbled feta
  
  Place potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Bring to a boil lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are soft when pierced by a knife.
  
  Drain and cool potatoes in a colander, then cut potatoes in half and place in a bowl. Add scallions, olives, and tomatoes.
  
  In a glass jar, combine olive oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, and pepper. Shake or stir to combine. Pour half of the dressing over the potatoes. Refrigerate remaining dressing for up to one week. It is a tasty salad dressing.
  
  Toss potatoes. Top with chopped basil and feta cheese. Toss again. Refrigerate until serving. It can be made a day ahead.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Mediterranean diet, Potatoes, Salad, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged easy summer salads, Feta Cheese, kalamata olives, mediterranean, potato salad
- Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers
  
  Posted at 8:53 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Jun 2nd
  Easy summer salads, especially healthy salads are a perfect addition for light summer meals. Chickpeas are loaded with health benefits and I love to add them to salads just as I would tomatoes or any veggie.
  
  Chickpeas can take center stage when paired with cucumbers and radishes as in my Chickpea salad. And isn’t wonderful that radishes are making a comeback, those red and white spicey veggies add wonderful flavor to any recipe.
  
  The special ingredient that gives the salad it’s unique taste is tahini which is made from ground sesame seeds. Tahini is a middle eastern food staple and used to make hummus.
  
  Chickpea Salad with Radishes and Cucumbers
  
  2 cans Goya low salt chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  
  1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  
  5 radishes, chopped
  
  1 medium cucumber
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
  
  1 tablespoon tahini sauce
  
  1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
  1 teaspoon oregano
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  Place chickpeas, scallions, radishes, and cucumbers in a medium serving bowl.
  
  In a small bowl combine oil, vinegar, tahini sauce, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pour over chickpeas and vegetables. Toss to combine. Chill for one hour before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Salad, summertime recipes, vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Chickpeas, cucumbers, Goya, radishes, salad, tahini
- Easy Crusty Bread
  
  Posted at 7:17 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 24th
  This is the easiest recipe for simple crusty bread and it uses regular flour. The bread tastes delicious. Perfect for a novice bread maker. I’ve baked for years and I love the convenience of this no-fuss recipe. All you do is make the recipe and store the dough in your refrigerator for up to two weeks. You can make a loaf at a time or any combination up to three loaves.
  
  Making bread or anything with yeast reminds me of my mother and grandmother, both were exceptional cooks and bakers. My memories flow freely when I smell bread baking in my kitchen, I am transported to my childhood watching my mother kneed bread patiently waiting to taste her fresh-baked bread. This recipe is kneed free.
  
  Life is simple again when you bake bread!
  
  1 ½ tablespoons yeast*
  
  1 ½ tablespoon kosher salt
  
  6 ½ cups King Arthur’s unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough
  
  Cornmeal
  
  In a large bowl mix yeast and salt into 3 cups lukewarm water (about 100 degrees). Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. The dough will be quite loose. Cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).
  
  You can make the bread now or cover and refrigerate the dough for up two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with a serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on a parchment-covered baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough or refrigerate for future use.
  
  Place broiler pan on the bottom of the oven. Turn over to 450 degrees and heat for 10 minutes.
  
  Dust dough with flour, slash top with a serrated or very sharp knife three times. Place the baking sheet on the center rack. Pour one cup hot water into broiler pan and shut the oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely. Makes three round loaves.
  
  * I used SAF Instant Red Label Yeast by Lesaffre Yeast Corporation
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, breads, Easy recipes, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged Baked Bread, Crusty Bread, Easy Bread recipe, King Arthur's Flour, Saf Yeast
- Lemon and Lavender Scones with Lemon Curd
  
  Posted at 9:00 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  May 3rd
  I am the number one fan of Victoria Magazine! Years ago I stumbled upon the first issue in a doctor’s office waiting room and I have been enamored ever since. This beautiful magazine with gorgeous features and breathtaking styled photoshoots speaks to my soul. I anxiously await every issue knowing my favorite magazine will not disappoint, each issue is a visual delight, from the articles to the recipes.
  
  I’ve made many of the recipes featured in Victoria and I find their recipes simple to duplicate, achieving the same results as the magazine. This is not always the case when you attempt a recipe from a magazine. Many times I have been disappointed with my results and I am a good cook. Not with Victoria!
  
  I love Victoria’s tag line, “For lovers of charming homes and gardens, decorative touches, and world travel, Victoria nourishes the feminine soul and promises a return to loveliness.”
  
  Below is the recipe for Lemon and Lavender Scones from Victoria Magazine the May/June 2020 issue.
  
  Lemon and Lavender Scones with Lemon Curd
  
  2 cups self-rising flour*
  
  ¼ cup of sugar
  
  ¼ cup cold salted butter
  
  2 teaspoons dried culinary lavender
  
  1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  
  ½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
  
  1 large egg
  
  ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  Lemon curd
  
  Garnish: fresh culinary lavender flowers
  
  Preheat oven to 350°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  
  In a medium bowl, combine flour and sugar, whisking well. Using a pastry
  
  blender, cut butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  
  Add dried lavender and lemon zest, stirring well.
  
  In a small bowl, combine cream, egg, and vanilla extract, whisking well.
  
  Add cream mixture to flour mixture, stirring to combine. Continue to bring
  
  the dough together with hands. (If the mixture seems dry, add more cream, 1
  
  a tablespoon at a time, until uniformly moist.)
  
  Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 3 to 4 times.
  
  Roll dough into an 8 inch round and to a ½-inch thickness. Cut into 8
  
  rectangles.
  
  Bake until edges are golden brown and a wooden pick inserted
  
  in centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove scones to a wire
  
  rack, and let cool completely.
  
  Garnish with creamed honey lavender flowers, if desired.
  
  Lemon Crud
  
  3 egg yolks
  
  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
  2 teaspoons lemon zest
  
  1/4 cup strained lemon juice
  
  1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubes
  
  In a small heavy saucepan whisk, together, lemon zest, and lemon juice
  
  until blended. Add butter; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until
  
  the mixture is very thick and the thermometer reads at least 175, about 10 minutes.
  
  Do not boil, Immediately remove from heat.
  
  Strain through a fine-mesh side into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap
  
  onto the surface, and let cool for 15 minutes. Refrigerate until serving, at
  
  least 1 hour.
  
  *If you have all-purpose flour add 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1
  
  teaspoon salt.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, Baking, Dessert, desserts, Easy recipes, entertaining, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Tea Party | Tagged baking, Lemon Lavender scone, Tea Party, Victoria magazine
- Asparagus and Leek Goat Cheese Quiche
  
  Posted at 11:35 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 27th
  Springtime in New England our markets are bursting with fresh asparagus, which is one of my favorite veggies. I love to combine asparagus with leeks then flavor with thyme and lemon. I used this combination to make this rich goat cheese quiche. A wonderfully easy dish, I used store-bought piecrust, saving time, and cleanup while maintaining the rich fresh favor.
  
  Asparagus Leek and Goat Cheese Quiche
  
  1 (14.1-oz.) pkg. refrigerated piecrusts
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 cups thinly sliced leeks
  
  1 chopped shallot
  
  1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces)
  
  1/2 kosher salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
  1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  1 whole milk
  
  1/2 heavy cream
  
  4 large eggs
  
  4 oz crumbled goat cheese tablespoons
  
  1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
  
  1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
  1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon pepper
  
  1 tablespoon lemon zest
  
  Preheat oven to 425°F.
  
  Unroll piecrust; stack on a lightly floured surface. Roll stacked piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Fit piecrust into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate or a lightly greased tart pan with removable bottom; press into fluted edges. Flute and pitch if using a pie plate. Trim off excess piecrust along edges if using a tart pan.
  
  Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add leeks, shallots, asparagus, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool 5 minutes. Reserve 10-12 asparagus spears for decoration.
  
  Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, nutmeg, goat cheese, mozzarella, salt, pepper and lemon zest
  
  Spoon asparagus mixture in the prepared pie dish. Gently add egg mixture. Arrange reserved asparagus spears on top. Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 45-50 minutes, covering with foil to prevent excess browning if necessary. Cool on baking sheet on a wire rack 20 minutes before serving.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Baking, eggs, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Hearty Meal, Springtime, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner
- Baked Stuffed Eggplant
  
  Posted at 12:05 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Apr 24th
  Eggplant is so versatile. I grew up in an Italian American family where my mother cooked eggplant regularly. In the summer she used freshly picked eggplant from my grandparent’s bountiful garden. In addition to the traditional Eggplant Parmesan, my mother used eggplant creatively. We had roasted eggplant, in ratatouille, baked, all dishes that she just “threw together”. Her words, not mine. All equally outstanding!
  
  I like to make baked stuff eggplant, hollowing out the soft meat, and using it as the base for the stuffing. Every time I make stuffed eggplant I tend to change the filling for a new adventure with eggplant. The recipe below is my Italian version of baked stuffed eggplant; olive, artichokes, capers, and mozzarella cheese. I love to experiment!
  
  1 large eggplant
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 shallot, chopped
  
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  1 tablespoon capers
  
  1/4 cup chopped kalamata olives
  
  1 can(14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  
  1/4 cup plain panko bread crumbs
  
  1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  
  1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
  
  4 oz. fresh mozzarella sliced 1/8 inch thick
  
  2 tablespoon parmesan cheese
  
  Preheat oven to 350F.
  
  Cut the eggplant in half and scoop out the center, leaving enough meat inside the skin so that it holds its shape when baked. Chop the removed eggplant meat into cubes.
  
  In a medium pan heat olive oil. Add shallot and garlic, saute for 5 minutes until the shallot is translucent. Add eggplant meat, season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking on medium for 5- 10 minutes. Stir while the eggplant cooks making sure it doesn’t stick to the pan. The eggplant should become soft but not browned. Add capers, olives, and artichoke hearts and cook for another 5 minutes.
  
  Remove from heat. Add panko breadcrumbs and herbs to eggplant mixture, stir until combined. Fill bottom eggplant shell with 1/2 of the cooked eggplant meat. Layer half of the sliced mozzarella. Add remaining eggplant meat and then the remaining mozzarella. Place eggplant top over and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  
  If you want you can also divide eggplant meat equally between the top and bottom eggplant shells. Top each eggplant with half of the mozzarella and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 50 minutes. Mozzarella cheese should be melted.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Eggplant, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Italian, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Baked Eggplant, easy, Side dish
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