Jorge selected a theme of French cuisine for the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors. Jorge landed in Quebec and stayed there for 3 years where he got his French influence. The recipes he selected for this kitchen were largely influenced by the region of Provence of France. The region of Provence has abundance of fresh vegetables, herbs and seafood due to it’s Mediterranean climate and location next to the Mediterranean Sea.

The first dish is Stuffed Eggplants. I find that eggplant is a vegetable that I seldom used because it’s like an oil sponge. It soaks up oil like a sponge. I’m glad to learn a new recipe with eggplant.

Ingredients

• 3 eggplants (large plumb variety)
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 red or green bell peppers, halved, seeded and chopped
• 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

Source: Jorge Videunez

Prep time: 30 minutes;  Cook time: 1 hour;  Serve 12

Instructions

Mice en Place:

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminium foil

• chopped the onion
• chopped the celery
• chopped the bell peppers
• dice the tomatoes
• beat the eggs

Halve the eggplants lengthwise and scoop out the flesh without piercing the shell and reserve the shell.

Chop the flesh.

In a large pan, heat the oil and add the onion, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until soft. Add the chopped eggplant flesh, celery, bell peppers and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.We were short of stove space and Jorge roasted the vegetables in the oven instead. The vegetables were roasted in the 400F preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once or twice, until they were tender.

Lightly beat the eggs.

Remove the pan from the stove or oven and stir in the eggs. Fill the eggplant shells with the mixture and place on a lined baking sheet.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.