2 medium eggplants
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups chopped onions
8 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Cut stems off the eggplants and trim a bit off one side so that they can sit open-face up without rolling over. Use a melon baller or grapefruit spoon to form a hollow cavity in each piece.
Brush the trimmed eggplants with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and then sprinkle them with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper, sugar and lemon juice. Place them on an oiled baking sheet.
Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper in a skillet over medium heat, and then add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered until the tomatoes become tender and the liquid thickens, about 20 minutes.
Fill the cavities in the eggplants with the tomato mixture and bake until much of the liquid has evaporated and the eggplant is very tender, about 45 minutes. Serve warm or cold.
Serves 4.
From “The Too Many Tomatoes Cookbook,” by Brian Yarvin, The Countryman Press, 2009.
