Except for one practice dish prior to Wednesday’s contest, the winner of the eggplant recipe contest at the fair had never cooked with the vegetable before.
Carolynn Riddle, Goshen, took first prize in the Anything Goes With Eggplant contest through the Home & Family Arts Department at the Elkhart County 4-H Fair Wednesday.
According to Mary Ann Lienhart-Cross, Purdue Extension educator, the contest is sponsored by Sweet Corn Charley. A different vegetable is chosen each year as the mandatory ingredient, she said. Last year zucchini was the star.
“It’s a way to get people to eat more vegetables and fruit and to promote produce from here,” Lienhart Cross said. The prizes are donated by Sweet Corn Charley are gift certificates to the produce stands for first through third place at $50, $25 and $10.
In second place with a unique Eggplant Barbecue Dip made by Mid Stutsman, Goshen, that the judges had high praise for during the sampling process. In third place was a nicely presented Sausage Stuffed Eggplant by Marian Hollopeter, Syracuse.
The winning dish was one of two Eggplant Sausage Casseroles entered. Riddle got the recipe from the Country Cooking cookbook.
Recipes:
First Place Entry
Carolynn Riddle, Goshen
Eggplant Sausage Casserole
1 pkg (16 oz) penne pasta
2 lbs bulk Italian sausage
5 cups eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 lg onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp paprika
1 (15 oz) carton ricotta cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
Cook pasta according to box directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage until done; drain off fat. Set aside. In same skillet, sauté eggplant, onion and garlic in oil. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, basil, paprika and simmer, partially covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Drain pasta; stir into eggplant mixture and add sausage.
Spread half of sausage mixture in a greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Spread with ricotta cheese. Top with half of mozzarella cheese and sausage mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving. Yields 12 servings.
Second Place Entry
Mid Stutsman, Goshen
Eggplant Barbecue Dip
1/2 lb center cut or Canadian bacon
1/3 cup olive oil
1 lg onion
1 med eggplant
1/2 to 1 tsp seasoned salt
1 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup grape jelly
1 lg tomato, firm but ripe
Fry bacon in large skillet. (Do not use cast iron, it will turn the eggplant black.) As the bacon cooks, peel and slice onion. When bacon is well done, remove and drain on a paper towel. Tear into small pieces. Drain bacon grease from pan, add olive oil and onion slices; stir to loosen browned bacon bits and separate slices. Cover and continue cooking. Peel and cut eggplant into 1/2-inch cubes; when onion is tender and caramelized, add eggplant and seasoned salt. Cook and stir several minutes until eggplant becomes tender (do not cook down). Stir in barbeque sauce and jelly, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes. Dice tomato. Remove sauce from heat and let cool before adding tomato and bacon bits. Serve chilled or at room temperature with pita chips, or in pita pockets with meatballs, shredded chicken or pork.
Third Place Entry
Mariann Hollopeter, Syracuse
Sausage Stuffed Eggplant
1 (1 1/2 lb) eggplant, halved lengthwise
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb bulk Italian sausage
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp dry bread crumbs
2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 cup mozzarella cheese, divided
1 egg
For garnish: whole tomato and onion slices
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brush cut sides of eggplant with olive oil and place, cut-side up onto a baking sheet. Roast in preheated oven for 30 minutes, then remove and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat; drain off the grease. Place into a mixing bowl, and season with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Stir in bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of spaghetti sauce, 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, and the beaten egg; mix well. Once the roasted eggplant has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh to within 1/2-inch of the skin, creating a shell. Roughly chop the eggplant meat, and fold into the sausage mixture. Divide evenly among the two eggplant shells, and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven until the filling has set, and the cheese is bubbly and golden-brown, about 30 minutes. While the eggplant is baking, warm the remaining spaghetti sauce in a saucepan over medium-low heat to serve with the eggplant. Garnish with tomato and onion slices.
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