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the awaiting filling

the finished meal

MEAL FOUR AND FIVE

Meal four and five because this recipe does double duty for breakfast or lunch. I've come back from Melbourne to a garden full of basil, beans (yes, they are taking over) silverbeet (rainbow chard) and the first of the eggplant - forgetting the beans for now, this can only mean one thing: Cannelloni. The eggplant was young (the only way to have them) so needed no salting, and it was creamy and delicious. It's a simple meal and delicious on toast the next morning for breakfast. I've given you a flash recipe below, but for me - it was a hit and miss affair - I really just blanched the silverbeet as described, chopped it up with some fried zucchini (did I say there was lot's of that too?) and some fetta cheese and basil. As I only had one eggplant, there wasn't enough to do lots of rolls, so I stuffed the filling around the 6 I did have - no one noticed, and it all got eaten. And don't think that's all - there were still beans - and beans it shall be tomorrow.

EGGPLANT CANNELLONI

Because of its’ oxalic acid, silverbeet is always best used with dairy of some sort, hence the ricotta or goats cheese. The tofu option is also fabulous - if you have my book Wholefood, I'd use the Tofu Ricotta recipe -

but I think it still needs the cheese on top for the best result.

The Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee, or 20 gm butter

½ - 1 medium red onion – finely diced

3 cloves garlic

1 rib celery, finely chopped

1 medium carrot (if organic, left unpeeled), finely diced

sea salt to taste

1 small – medium zucchini (or yellow squash) finely diced

1 small piece pumpkin (approx 150gm) finely diced

handful of basil and a bit of fresh oregano

2 x 410 tins tomatoes, or fresh, finely chopped to equal

The Eggplants:

1 large or 2 medium eggplants (you will need enough eggplant for approx 16 – 18 slices.

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 clove garlic, crushed

16 - 18 small – medium silverbeet, stems trimmed to 10 cm below leaf line, well washed

250 gm ricotta, young goat cheese or silken tofu

if you have pesto, do use – approx 3 teaspoons worth

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 – 2 tablespoons finely grated parmesan, romano or manchego cheese

Place a large pot of water on the stove to boil.

Add 1 tablespoon oil or 20 gm butter and the onion, garlic, celery and carrot with a pinch sea salt to a medium size saucepan and cook over a gentle heat for about 10 mins. Add the zucchini, pumpkin, herbs and tomatoes. If the tomatoes are whole, break them up into smaller pieces and swish out the can/s with ¼ cup water and add to the pot. Stir through and cook over at a gentle simmer for approx 30 mins, stirring from time to time. Check for flavour and adjust - salt and pepper, or some apple juice concentrate or rapadura sugar to counter the acidity of the tomatoes, if needed. I like to reduce the sauce quite well, to intensify the flavour. You can also add tomato paste to the cooking sauce if desired for an more intense flavour. If using fresh tomatoes, cover with a lid and cook at a very low temperature for approx 20 mins for the tomatoes to release their juices. Then remove the lid and continue as if using tin tomatoes.

Pre heat oven to 190c or 170 if fan forced. Line a baking tray (or 2 if needed) with baking paper. Mix together the olive oil, herbs and crushed garlic.

Cut the eggplants lengthways into slices approx 1cm thick. Lay on the baking paper lined trays, and brush with the olive oil mix. Place in oven and bake 10 – 20 mins or until lightly browned.

Submerge the silverbeet leaves in the boiling water for 2 mins or until the stem is tender. Place a colander in the sink, pour through and allow the silverbeet to cool.

Squeeze the cooled silverbeet to remove the bulk of the liquid, finely chop and add to a mixing bowl, together with the pesto, cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Divide the mix between the baked eggplant slices and roll them gently and lay, seam side down in the baking dish.. Pour over sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil or baking paper and bake for 40 mins. Remove cover and bake for a further 10 mins, or until the sauce is well reduced.