Eggplant, zucchini

In this entry I'm breaking out a secret weapon:  my husband's Greek grandmother's recipe for moussaka, which I learned by watching her years ago.  It may seem like a lot of work (see note below), so make a big batch (which this recipe yields) and freeze some. You'll be so glad you did.

Moussaka is a casserole.  Nobody likes baking a casserole when it's in the nineties outside, so wait until the temperatures are reasonable.  There are hundreds of recipes available, and each one is slightly different, but they all have three main components:  layers of eggplant (and zucchini) alternating with layers of ground meat cooked with tomato and onions, topped with a white sauce (bechamel) enhanced by eggs and cheese.  The version below is one that I've made using lentils instead of ground beef or ground lamb.  Nothing can take the place of ground meat, in my opinion, but the lentil option still makes for a delicious dish.  I'll include instructions for using meat also, since that's the way Yaya always made it.

You'll need a large casserole pan (mine was 10" x 14") and:

Layer 1:
2 medium eggplants  (essential)
2 medium zucchini (not essential--you can use more eggplant instead)
2 T. olive oil

Layer 2:
3 medium onions
1 T. olive oil
1/2 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
2 cups of tomato puree OR 1 small can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups dried lentils OR 2 pounds ground beef, ground lamb, or combination of the two

Topping:
4 T. butter
5 T. flour
2 c. milk
4 eggs
1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese


Layer 1:
Slice the eggplants and zucchini into 1/4" rounds.  I don't peel the vegetables--one of the benefits of going organic.  Put them into a bowl and sprinkle them with a little salt; this gets some of the water out of them and makes them easier to fry and sometimes less bitter also.  Set aside while you do the next step.

Layer 2:
Chop the onions and herbs (I find it easiest to use the food processor), sauté in about 1 T. olive oil until onions become translucent, then add the lentils (or meat), tomato puree (or paste mixed with a can of water), and salt to taste. Simmer until lentils are soft (or until meat is just cooked).  The mixture should be thick, with no visible broth, so keep simmering until the water from the tomato is evaporated; you'll need to stir frequently so things won't stick.

Back to Layer 1:
Fry the drained eggplant and zucchini in olive oil until they are quite tender.  If you are using zucchini, let it cook until it is dry, not watery. I do this while Layer 2 is simmering.

Topping:
Melt butter in small saucepan and add flour; cook about a minute or so (you are making a classic roux here).  Remove from heat and add 2 cups of milk, gradually, while stirring.  Add 1 t. salt (at this point Yaya also added 1 t. sugar; I leave it up to you).  Cook until slightly thickened (bring to boil).  Beat the four eggs and gradually add the hot milk mixture to them.  Cook a minute or two over low heat (don't let it boil or the eggs will curdle.  If they do, use it anyway--it's no big deal!).  Remove from heat and add 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese.

Assembling the casserole:
Here's the easy part!  Cover the bottom of the casserole dish with a layer of eggplant and zucchini.  On top of that put the onion/lentil/tomato mix.  If you have more eggplant and zucchini than will fit on the first layer, finish up with another layer of eggplant/zucchini.  The number of layers doesn't really matter.  Now, spread the topping over everything and bake for an hour at 350.  The topping will set and may brown slightly.  Enjoy!  This is a dish that is even better the next day, and it freezes well.

Notes:

• If you are short on time, you can make each of the three components independently, and combine them later.  Sometimes I've fried eggplant and frozen it for later use, and you can do the same with the lentil or meat layer.  That makes this dish very simple and quick to prepare. 
• When I made this dish most recently, I didn't have any parsley, but I had just weeded my garden and had a bunch of purslane (a very common weed in our area), and I used about 1 1/2 cups of that along with the onions, lentils, and tomato.  Not the same taste as parsley, but very good anyway.  You could add various chopped greens or herbs here to your own taste. 
• As an alternative to frying, you can bake the zucchini and eggplant on a cookie sheet that has been lightly brushed with olive oil.