We started with a nice cheese plate from local Raw cheese from the Farmer's Market, with blueberries and pecans. 
Fresh kale from the CSA, sauteed with onions in lard.
The highlight of this meal was surely the stuffed eggplant, topped with purple basil pesto that I took home from the CSA Farm Trip. 
And the main event was the sausage and peppers, with locally raised pork sausage, purple bell peppers, onions and potatoes.
HERB STUFFED EGGPLANT WITH PURPLE BASIL PESTO
Cut 2 eggplants in half, season with salt and pepper and coat with olive oil. Bake skin down for about 15 minutes, so the guts are scoopable. Remove and scoop the flesh. Sautee half an onion with garlic, fresh thyme and chopped fresh sage, then add the scooped eggplants guts and sautee until softened. Remove from the pan and in a bowl mix the eggplant guts with some fresh bread crumbs and grated cheese, salt and pepper. Season with eggplant halves with salt and pepper and olive oil then stuff them and bake for about 30 minutes at 350. While the eggplant is baking prepare you pesto. In a mortar and pestle, grind fresh basil and sea salt to form a paste. Add raw pine nuts and grind. Add fresh olive oil and grated cheese. When you remove the eggplants from the oven, top each with about 1 TBSP of fresh pesto.
SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS
Puncture the sausages and sautee whole until brown. Its a good idea to puncture them for steam to be released. Remove and set aside. In the same pan, fry onions, peppers and thinly sliced potatoes. While that is cooking cut the sausage into 1/2 inch slices. Add the the pan and sautee and few more minutes. Transfer everything to a baking dish and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
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5 comments:
YUM! that kale looks delish.
Hey, if you get a chance, find some Smoked RIcotta Salada, stat!..you will not be disappointed. I used it to make a lasagna lake week..heaven! and I've been nibbling on a leftover piece with almonds and blueberries.
I vividly I remember that meal. Wow. The eggplants were superb, as was everything else.
BTW we tried a really fantastic newly opened restaurant in Casteallammare. Greatb Sicilian food presented with care and with flair. The flavors are simply divine.
Oh wow, it looks like you treated your parents to quite the feast!! Those eggplants also look like the highlight to me, delicious!
Oh wow, what a feast! Your parents are very lucky!
Oh my dad would have been complaining about the same thing - what, no bread? My Italian dad passed away two years ago and my husband lovingly teases me at the table (in my dad's memory) by quoting my dad.
Everything looks yummy, Jen -- and look you even get a lovely comment from Rocco!
Thanks for sharing the recipes!
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