Eggplant Parmesan

This morning I received some suggestions on doing some vegetarian recipes. I totally enjoy just about every vegetable that is out there. I am a huge fan of fresh farmer's market locally grown produce. One of my nephews loves my eggplant Parmesan. The only secret to this dish is that everything is fresh. Thyme, Oregano and Basil flavor homemade Tomato Concasse, (Peeled, diced, and seeded Roma tomatoes slow simmered to a sauce and seasoned with sea salt) that is spooned over Eggplant rounds that have been breaded in fresh whole wheat bread crumbs and layered with a ricotta cheese mixture of egg and grated Parmesan cheese. Shredded Parmesan tops each sauced tower and and is baked until golden brown and bubbly. This is served best with a salad of seasonal crisp veggies, like cucumbers, red onions, and and radishes. A sweet mustard vinaigrette finishes things off nicely. I rarely measure anything in this dish. I like to do it to taste. I will post the steps and photo later tonight. This is going to be dinner!

Here's the recipe:

2 large or 3 small to medium eggplant
3-4 cups of fresh whole wheat bread crumbs (seasoned to taste with salt and pepper)
16 oz of ricotta cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs for cheese mixture and 2 for egg wash
8-10 Roma or plum tomatoes (peeled, seeded and chopped)
1/4 cup of minced basil
2 tbs. of fresh thyme leaves
1 tbs. of minced oregano
Olive oil for sauteing
2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Simmer tomatoes in a sauce pot over medium low heat with herbs. Salt to taste.
2. Slice eggplant into 1/2 inch slices. Lay on a sheet pan and sprinkle lightly with salt.
whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of water in a bowl and set aside.
3. Warm a large skillet over medium heat with a couple of spoons of olive oil.
4. Dip eggplant slice, one at a time in egg wash and coat with bread crumbs. Pan fry slices on each side until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
5. In a bowl combine ricotta and Parmesan with 2 remaining eggs.
6. In a baking dish lightly coat the bottom with sauce. Place a single layer of cooked eggplant rounds along the bottom.
7. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of cheese mixture over rounds and top with and additional slice of eggplant. Once pan is full, spoon sauce to cover and bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling. Garnish with a sprinkling of dried Italian herbs. Serve immediately. Feed yourself well!