Stuffed Vegetarian Eggplant

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is to visit the farmer’s markets. There are so many in the Hamptons and each one has an array of beautiful vegetables and fruits that is better than the next!

This weekend I stopped at the Country Garden Market in Bridgehampton on our way back to the city. The most gorgeous purple eggplants and bundles of summer onions were right next to each other in the bins. So I decided to combine the two of them and make stuffed baked eggplant for dinner.

First, thinly slice the onions.

Hollow out the insides of the eggplant and take out chunks with a small knife. Chop them into small pieces with a larger knife.

Brush the insides of the eggplant with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper and bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes or until soft.

Meanwhile, lightly saute the onions until golden brown and set aside.

In a skillet saute the chopped eggplant and a diced tomato in some olive oil and cook until just soft. Add fresh herbs and some torn fresh basil.

Spoon the eggplant & tomato mixture evenly into the baked eggplants. Top with more diced tomato, the sauted onions and some shredded aged gouda. (or any cheese you prefer)

Broil until lightly brown and the cheese has melted.

Top with fresh basil leaves and drizzle with some olive oil. Season with more fresh ground salt & pepper and some pepper flakes if you like it with a little kick!