"I Love It!"

Very rarely does Simone say that about something on the dinner table, even if she really does love it. She might really get into lettuce or other things otherwise rejected or she may slide a plate of her favorite food across the table with a grimace (gee, thanks), but "I love it" is saved for something truly extraordinary.

It's nothing complex, just sauteed fresh tomato and eggplant, a splash of olive oil at the end, salt and pepper. The veggies have to be fresh and in-season (these were picked from our container garden earlier today), since this really brings out the flavors of the two summer fruits. The tomatoes caramelize and release a wonderful sweetness and, with the eggplant, the final product turns into something way more than the sum of its ingredients.

She asked for more after cleaning her plate (even ignoring the Tofurkey Italian sausage she usually crams into her pie hole) and then started eating from our plates until it was all gone -- her hands, arms and face covered in a thick oily film.

All you do is chop up the tomato and eggplant, about equal parts (and figure losing about 1/3 of its volume when cooked down), into bite-sized chunks. Heat up a pan with neutral oil (grapeseed if you have it, but canola is fine) to medium and drop in the tomato/eggplant chunks.

Cook until they start to break down, adding salt and pepper (to taste) as they soften. After seven or so minutes, they should be about ready (check the eggplant with a fork to make sure it's tender). Remove from heat, add a good amount of extra virgin olive oil, stir and serve.

Great with a batch of fettuccine (best fresh, if you have eggs, flour and a pasta machine) and a salad. We often serve it with the soy sausage mentioned above but we're trying to lay off soy more .

Enjoy.

-s