I have never in my life eaten eggplant (aka aubergine) and so have never before had Moussaka. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would like the taste of eggplant, but when I came across this recipe in my copy of "More from the Cook's Garden," the 1987 sequel to the wonderful NZ gardening cookbook "The Cook's Garden," I had to try it, because it sounded so good. And better yet, it is a vegetarian version, using lots of ingredients I happen to have growing in or stored from my garden. When it was cooked, my hope was that it would be a pleasant enough dinner and my husband and family would find it edible. But instead - WOW! There are no words to describe how good this tasted - the blend of flavours and textures is just right, but hard to describe as the eggplant has a special taste all it's own!
 | Layers of sautéed potatoes, aubergine, freshly made tomato sauce and cheese is covered with a light custard which is prepared from eggs and yoghurt. The dish is prepared in three parts, then layered together and baked in the oven. I will list the ingredients and instructions for one part at a time..... The ingredients which have come from my own garden are marked with an * |
| Tomato Sauce 2 TBSP olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped * 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (I used two - I love garlic!) * 4 medium sized tomatoes, skinned and chopped, plus 1/3 cup water, OR one tin of tomatoes in juice. (I used a jar of diced tomatoes I had previously bottled) * 1 TBSP tomato paste 2 TBSP red wine (optional - I didn't use it) Salt to taste (and freshly ground black pepper if you like - I didn't use it as I am allergic) 1 bay leaf 1 TBSP finely chopped fresh herbs, or 1 tsp dried herbs (I used fresh parsley) * Heat the oil in a saucepan. Sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, and simmer gently for 15-20 mins or until the sauce is thick, stirring occasionally. Vegetable Layers 500g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced * 2 TBSP cooking oil 1 large aubergine, sliced into 1/2 cm thick slices * 2 TBSP wholemeal flour 2 TBSP extra cooking oil 1 cup grated cheese (recipe says cheddar, I used Colby) Fry the potato slices in hot oil until they are golden and almost cooked. Transfer to a large, greased baking dish. Coat the aubergine lightly with the flour. Add the extra oil to the pan if needed. Fry the slices until they are soft and lightly browned. Place in an even layer in the baking dish. Custard 3 eggs * 200 ml plain yoghurt 1/4 tsp salt Pepper if desired In a small bowl, beat the eggs, yoghurt and seasoning until well mixed. Assembly and cooking: Cover the potato/aubergine layers with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the surface with the cheese. Pour the custard evenly over the top. Bake in a moderate oven (180C/350F) for 45 minutes or until the custard is set and golden brown. Serves 4 as a main meal accompanied by bread rolls, or 6 if you add other sides. |       |
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