Ingredients: |
Ingredients: For Torta
o 3½ pounds eggplant, sliced lengthwise ⅓ inch thick
o 3 tablespoons olive oil plus extra oil or butter for the pan
o salt and freshly milled pepper
o 1 large bunch chard, stems discarded
o 1 onion, finely diced
o 2 pinches saffron threads
o 2 large garlic cloves, minced or put through a press
o ¼ cup chopped basil
o ⅓ cup grated Gruyere cheese
o ¾ cup fresh goat cheese, about 3 ounces
o 3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
o 3 eggs
o 1 tablespoon water
For Fresh Tomato Sauce
o 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered
o 3 tablespoons chopped basil
o salt and freshly milled pepper
o 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
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Directions: |
Directions: For Eggplant Torta
• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Unless it’s garden fresh, salt the eggplant, let it stand 30 minutes, then rinse and blot dry. Brush both sides of the eggplant with oil, lay them on a sheet pan (two if needed), and bake until the bottom is browned, about 12 minutes. Turn and bake to brown the second side, about 10 minutes, remove and season with salt and pepper
• Finely chop the chard. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over medium heat, add the onion, and sprinkle on the saffron. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is quite soft, about 12 minutes, then stir in the garlic and chard with the water clinging to its leaves. Sprinkle over ½ teaspoon salt and cook slowly, stirring occasionally with tongs, until the chard is fully tender, about 15 minutes. If the pan seems dry at any point, add water about ⅓ cup at a time. When tender, stir in the basil, taste for salt, and season with plenty of pepper.
• Brush a 9-inch springform pan with oil or butter. Arrange five or six slices of eggplant around the edge, overlapping them as you go. They need to come at least 2 inches up the side. Next make overlapping layers of the eggplant to cover the bottom of the pan. Trim the eggplant slices, if needed, to make them fit, and use any odd pieces to fill in the gaps. The eggplant may be higher in the center than at the rim.
• Sprinkle the eggplant with half of the Gruyere, then make a layer with half the chard. Cover the chard with half the goat cheese and a tablespoon of Parmesan. Use half the remaining eggplant to make a layer---the trimmings are fine--- and cover with the remainder of the Gruyere, followed by the remaining chard and goat cheese. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of Parmesan.
• Slowly pour the eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon of water over the torta, letting them seep into the vegetables. Make a final layer of eggplant, arranging the slices attractively since this is the side that will be seen. Cover with the remaining Parmesan and bake until the custard is set, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool for 10 -15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and carefully dislodge the spring-form. Set the torta on a serving plate if you plan to serve it whole or slice it into wedges and surround with the Fresh Tomato Sauce.
For Fresh Tomato Sauce
• Put the tomatoes in a heavy pan with the basil. Cover and cook over medium-high heat. The tomatoes should yield their juices right away but keep an eye on the pot to make sure the pan is not dry. You don’t want the tomatoes to scorch. When the tomatoes have broken down after about 10 minutes, pass them through a food mill. If you want the final sauce to be thicker, return it to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring frequently until it is as thick as you want. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the oil. |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Roger found this recipe while reading through Deborah Madison’s "Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone". He felt we had been eating too much meat-centered dinners during our time in quarantine and I gave him the book to scan. This torta caught his eye and since I was placing an InstaCart order that day, I made sure we had all the ingredients. The final product looked and tasted fabulous. It is a lot for just two people, but we had the rest for lunch the next day. The Fresh Tomato Sauce is also from the book and is also in my first cookbook, "As Thyme Goes By". It is a very easy, good sauce and freezes well for a simple pasta dish in the future.
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