It’s getting cold and rainy in Columbus, and I found myself craving the heat and buzz of summer – the days when my garden was overflowing with vegetables, herbs and flowers. I know, I know – most of my fellow Mississippians are fully ready to embrace this chilly weather. We just got past summer, after all. But y’all, I have to confess, even when the Mississippi heat is unrelenting and I’m sweating the second I step outside, I still prefer summer over all the other seasons. It’s just who I am.

And while my small hobby vegetable garden stopped producing a few weeks ago, I was delighted to snag some beautiful, firm eggplants from the professional veggie growers at Lane Farms, one of my favorite vendors at the Hitching Lot Farmers Market.
With eggplants in hand, canned tomatoes in the pantry, mozzarella in the fridge and my basil plant still thriving (the only thing still going, honestly), I decided to revisit one of my (and my husband’s) favorite summer dishes: eggplant parm.

Inspired by a classic recipe from NYT Cooking, I put my own twist on it. I slice the eggplant into round disks, coat them in flour and deep-fry them until golden. Most recipes have you bake your eggplant or create a casserole. I prefer this method so the eggplant is light and crispy – the perfect contrast to the mozzarella-laden sauce.

I recommend serving with thick slices of crusty bread for sopping up the sauce, or, if you’re extra hungry, a side of your favorite pasta. The dish always plates beautifully for me, and each bite is a little reminder of summer – ripe, sweet tomatoes, fragrant basil and perfectly fried eggplant. Even on the grayest Columbus day, this dish brings the warmth of summer back to the kitchen.

EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Ingredients:
For the eggplant
3 pounds eggplant
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
Kosher salt
Neutral oil for deep frying (vegetable or canola)
Pepper

For the sauce
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 shallots, minced
Two 28-ounce cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 pound mozzarella (I purchase the round ball and slice thinly)
Salt and preferred seasonings
Basil (kept in large stems/leaves for easy straining)

Directions:
■ Peel the eggplant and slice it lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle each layer with salt and place into a colander, overlapping and salting as you go. After you fill the colander, place a plate on top and weigh it down with a heavy pan or a kettle filled with water. Let the eggplant sweat for at least 30 minutes.
■ While the eggplant sweats, begin the tomato sauce. Cover the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium-high. Add the sliced garlic and minced shallots and cook until fragrant (do not brown the garlic).
■ Add the tomatoes with their juices and a big pinch of salt. Coarsely crush the tomatoes using a potato masher or kitchen scissors. Lower heat and simmer until the tomatoes reduce by almost half, stirring frequently. Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and stir until melted. Add fresh basil leaves and continue to simmer. Once basil wilts, remove the whole leaves.
■ Add mozzarella slices to the sauce and let them melt fully without stirring. Turn heat to low, cover and allow the sauce to simmer while you fry the eggplant.
■ Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet to 350 degrees. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a small piece of batter into the oil – if it sinks slightly, then quickly sizzles, rises and browns slowly, the oil is ready.
■ Combine the flour and panko in one bowl and prepare the egg wash in another. Coat eggplant slices in egg wash, dredge in the flour/panko mixture, shake off excess and fry in batches until golden on both sides, 2 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer slices to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain. Keep warm in a 100-degree oven while you finish the batches.
■ To assemble: Spoon sauce and pieces of melted mozzarella onto your plate, then stack the hot, freshly fried eggplant on top. Garnish with basil. Serve with bread or pasta, if desired – and enjoy.