Eggplant Tomato Gratin

As summer ends and fall is on the horizon, this a great recipe that bridges the gap between the two.  We put this one together with all the last harvests from our vegetable garden.  Even friends who in principle hate casserole/gratin dishes were surprised at how tasty this one was.

We used up the last of our tomatoes to make the sauce, along with some of the newly produced red wine from the property (L’Ane Rose).  The eggplant was roasted on the barbecue in slices beforehand and the goat cheese was from the Var region near Ramatuelle.

This makes for a perfect side dish or Vegetarian main dish.  Try it out and leave your comments.

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients:

Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onion, chopped
4  cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons rosemary, minced
3 cups red wine
2 bay leaves
2 lbs. tomatoes, Cored, roasted, peeled and chopped
to taste crushed red pepper
to taste sea salt

Gratin:
2 lbs. eggplant, thinly sliced lengthwise, grilled
2 cups goat cheese
2 cups parmesan, grated
1/3  cup basil, chiffonade

For the Tomato Sauce:
In a large saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute over medium heat until translucent.  Add garlic and rosemary, saute for 2 minutes.  Add red wine and reduce, about 10 minutes.   Add tomatoes and bay leaves.  Reduce heat and simmer for about an hour and a half.  Season to taste with crushed red pepper and sea salt.

For the Gratin:
Preheat oven to 375F.
In a dry lasagna pan, ladle one cup of tomato sauce and spread along the bottom of the pan. Apply a layer of eggplant length wise. Apply a layer of parmesan and basil on top of eggplant. Place goat cheese dollops every 2 inches in center of eggplant. Ladle another cup of tomato sauce.  Repeat with a second layer.  Finish with a third layer of eggplant.  Be sure to save enough sauce and cheese to spread on top.Bake until the cheese is golden, about 45 minutes.  Allow to cool before serving.