EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA Ingredients: Eggplant (about half of a small/medium eggplant per person) Tomatoes (about one and a half medium tomatoes per person) Cheese (diced fetta or grated cheddar, mozzarella etc. Parmesan optional) Fresh Herb (generous amounts of fresh basil or oregano or marjoram etc) dried herbs are possible but a last resort Garlic (optional) Extra virgin olive oil Method: Peel the eggplant and slice about 8 to 10 millimetres thick. Cook under griller until both sides are dark brown Cut up tomatoes into quarters and cut out the stalk bit. Put the tomatoes in a large saucepan with a few millimetres of water. I arrange them so that the skin side is facing up. Boil fairly vigorously (steam) for a few minutes, occasionally quickly rotating the saucepan on the hotplate by moving the handle from side to side. This is to prevent tomatoes sticking to the bottom. Make sure it doesn't boil dry. Turn the heat to low and with tongs pull the loosened skins off the tomatoes. Mash the tomatoes with a potato masher and let simmer slowly for a few minutes more. Add crushed garlic (one clove per person) and let simmer one minute more then remove from heat. Pour in a generous amount of extra virgin oil and mix in briefly. Add a generous amount of coarsely ground black pepper and salt to taste. Put a small amount of sauce in a wide ovenproof dish and spread it around. Put in a layer of grilled eggplant and sprinkle with herb, diced feta or other cheese, then spoon on some sauce and spread it about. Repeat layering until all sauce and eggplant is used. Finish with cheese (fetta etc) on top. You can sprinkle some fresh grated parmesan on top if you like. Then put it back under the griller to brown a bit. Buon Appetito