Eggplant is a vegetable of my childhood. It cemented my upbringing in Italian-American land. I grew up wanting it. All these years later I still want it, partly now for the various colors of its skin: deep purple verging on black, violet, clear purple, streaky purple, pure white, all shiny. Magnificent. I’m involved in the colors of food more than I used to be. They help me plan, not just my recipes but also my day. Color theme days. I have them, not every day but some days.
Unfortunately eggplant is not so beautiful when it’s cooked. It’s gray-beige, but its taste is rich. It soaks up herbs, garlic, olive oil, and wine better than most things. It’s a flavor trap.
Here’s a baked eggplant without tomato, a drift away from Parmigiano. It gets its togetherness from goat cheese and crème fraîche. I think it came out really well. I hope you like it.
I served it with grilled lamb chops marinated in rosemary, fennel seed, and garlic and a radicchio salad dressed with lemon, salt, and good olive oil.
It’s almost August. Tomato recipes will be coming soon. I’m working on a few that should be unexpected. Stay tuned.
Plus: Emergency. Happening now. Starvation in Gaza. I know we can feel angry and helpless in a terrible situation like this, thinking there’s nothing we can do, but there is something. We can support World Central Kitchen, either by donating our time or our money. Please help, if you can. Here’s their link.
Eggplant Gratin with Goat Cheese, Honey, and Thyme
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium eggplants, stripe-peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick rounds
Salt
Black pepper
1 fresh summer garlic clove, minced
1 large egg
1 4-ounce-or-so log soft goat cheese, at room temperature (I used Président brand)
¾ cup crème fraîche
¼ cup whole milk
6 or 7 large thyme sprigs, the leaves lightly chopped
¼ teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon runny honey (I used an acacia honey)
¼ cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat 2 sheet pans with olive oil. Lay out the eggplant slices on them in a single layer. Drizzle the slices with olive oil, and season them with salt and black pepper. Bake until the eggplant is tender and lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Take the pans from the oven, and sprinkle the minced garlic over the slices.
Put the egg, goat cheese, crème fraîche, milk, half of the chopped thyme, the allspice, and the honey into a food processor. Add a little salt and black pepper, and pulse a times to blend everything well. It should be thick but pourable.
Turn the oven down to 375.
Coat a baking dish lightly with olive oil (I used an 8-by-12-inch, 2-inch-deep oval). Lay down a layer of eggplant slices (a little overlap is okay). Drizzle on about ¼ of the goat cheese mixture. Make another layer of eggplant, using it all up. Pour on the rest of the goat cheese mix.
In a small bowl, mix the Parmigiano with the panko and the rest of the thyme. Add a little salt and black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil. Mix it with your fingers, and then scatter it fairly evenly over the top of the gratin.
Bake at 375 until it looks firm and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Serve hot or warm.
Erica De Mane 
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