Did you know Thomas Jefferson introduced our country to eggplant?  He experimented with eggplant cross breeding in his garden.  The eggplant’s origin is Asian.  Male eggplants have fewer seeds, often bitter, than the female.  They have a rounder, smoother blossom end or base. The blossom end of a female eggplant is generally indented.  These fun facts will certainly make me look closer at these purple beauties in the produce department!  Here’s one of my favorite meals…made easier for Crocktoberfest!

Ingredients

• 4 eggplants peeled and sliced about 1/2 inch
• 1 TBSP salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup chopped basil
• 1 tsp thyme
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 – 3/4  cup of olive oil..you may need another drizzle or 2 as you go along
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup grated parmesan
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 ball of mozerella, sliced… or a bag of shredded
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese

Preparation

1. After you peel and slice your eggplant, salt it.  Mix milk and eggs.
2. In another bowl, pour your flour so you have an assembly line to the fry pan.
3. Heat your olive oil and begin dipping your eggplant slices in egg mixture, then coat with flour and place in pan.
4. Brown each side and let drain on a plate with a paper towel until all are done.
5. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan.
6. Layer your crockpot with the bread crumb combo, then a layer of eggplant, then a layer of marinara, then mozerella cheese, basil and ricotta cheese.
7. Repeat until all the eggplant and other ingredients are gone.
8. Top with fresh thyme.  Cook on low for 4 – 5 hours.

Have a crock pot recipe that you’d love for us to share on WDOK.com for our month-long Crocktoberfest? E-mail it to me – nancy@wdok.com.


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More Crocktoberfest recipes:
• Nancy Alden’s French Onion Soup
• Linda Dawson’s Pizza Dip
• Listener Rebecca’s Brickyard Chicken
• Nancy Alden’s Moo Shoo Pork Wraps
• Listener Valerie’s Crock Pot Breakfast Casserole