Eggplant Tomato And Ramps Sauce Woods Gramercy Food

TOMATO AND EGGPLANT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a medium (10 to 11-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the eggplant and saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add a little more olive oil if the eggplant is sticking.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pot, add the onions and fennel, and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes, fennel seeds, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons black pepper. Pour the can of whole tomatoes, including the liquid, into a food processor and pulse until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes and the liquid to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

EGGPLANT AND TOMATO GRATIN

Steps:

• Roast the eggplant.
• Meanwhile, to make the tomato sauce, heat the olive oil in a large, heavy, preferably nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 to 8 minutes, and add the garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about a minute, and add the tomatoes, salt (1/2 to 1 teaspoon), pepper, sugar, and basil sprigs. Turn the heat up to medium-high and when the tomatoes are bubbling, stir well and turn the heat back to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and are beginning to stick to the pan, about 25 minutes. Remove the basil sprigs, wiping any sauce that adheres to them back into the sauce.
• Put the sauce through the fine blade of a food mill if you have not peeled the tomatoes. Otherwise pulse in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely pureed. Taste and adjust seasoning.
• Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Set aside 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and mix with the breadcrumbs. Oil a 2-quart gratin or baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the bottom of the dish. Slice the roasted eggplant about 1/4 inch thick and set an even layer of the slices over the tomato sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of sauce over the eggplant and sprinkle with basil and Parmesan. Repeat the layers one or two more times, depending on the shape of your dish and the size of your eggplant slices, ending with a layer of sauce topped with the Parmesan/breadcrumb mixture you set aside. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until bubbling and browned on the top and edges. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.

EGGPLANT WITH TOMATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Trim off each end of eggplant. Cut eggplant lengthwise in half. Place each half, cut side down, on flat surface and cut crosswise into half-moon shapes, each about one-third-inch thick. There should be a total of about 34 slices.
• Trim off ends of tomatoes and cut away the cores. Cut tomatoes crosswise into slices, each about one-inch thick. There should be about 32 pieces. Alternate tomato slices with eggplant slices and arrange them compactly in a baking dish.
• Combine garlic, rosemary and oregano and sprinkle over layered eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and dribble oil over all.
• Place dish in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Baste the layered eggplant with any juices that have accumulated around it. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

EGGPLANT WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut eggplant into 1/2-in.-thick slices. Sprinkle with salt. Place in a deep dish; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. , Rinse with cold water; drain and dry on paper towels. In a 2-qt. saucepan, heat oil over medium heat Add the tomatoes, garlic, basil and sugar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. , Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm while preparing eggplant. In a large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup oil; brown eggplant, a quarter at a time, adding more oil as needed. Place on a serving platter one row at a time. Cover with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Serve warm.

EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND RAMPS SAUCE (WOODS GRAMERCY)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees. With fork, prick eggplant in several places to keep it from bursting; place it on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Let roast until it is thoroughly soft and skin is brown and shriveled, about 20 minutes. (Roasting the eggplant over a charcoal fire will lend a very pleasant smoky aroma to the finished sauce.) When cool enough to handle, peel eggplant, discard skin and chop flesh into rough chunks about 1/2 inch square.
• While eggplant is roasting, bring a pan of water to a rolling boil. Dip each tomato in boiling water for 15 seconds to loosen skin. Peel tomatoes, cut in half and squeeze out seeds. Finely chop tomato flesh and set aside.
• Add olive oil to skillet. Over medium heat, saute chopped ramps in the oil until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. In remaining oil, over medium-high heat, saute chopped eggplant, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes, until it starts to brown.
• Add reserved ramps, chopped tomatoes, thyme and basil. Toss to mix well. Add white wine. Saute over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has amalgamated. Season with salt and pepper.
• When sauce is done, set aside but do not refrigerate. Just before serving, it may be reheated very briefly. Serve with grilled swordfish or halibut steaks or with fillets of snapper or tilefish. Garnish the sauce, if desired, with more fresh herbs, finely minced.