Ingredients

2 Japanese or Chinese eggplant
2 medium zucchini (about 1” in diameter)
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow or orange bell peppers
Olive oil to brush vegetables plus 4 T divided
Salt and pepper to taste
1 yellow onion, diced to 1/4”
2 T minced fresh garlic
1 large vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded & coarsely chopped, about 1 cup
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 T chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp dried chili flakes
½ cup Italian Feta cheese
¼ cup fine grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 T fresh lemon juice
½ cup dry bread crumbs
1 lb ground lamb

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Rinse eggplant, zucchini & peppers. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut eggplant, zucchini and peppers in half lengthwise, cutting through stems if possible. Leaving the stems, even a bit of it on the squash, makes for a nice presentation. Using a melon baler or teaspoon, scoop out the flesh from the eggplant and zucchini, leaving the remaining shells ¼” thick.

Roughly chop the scooped out eggplant & zucchini and set aside.

Remove the seeds & membrane from the peppers.

Brush all of the vegetables with a little olive oil, inside and out.

Season insides of vegetables with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 T of the olive oil in a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté, breaking up into small pieces, until the meat is brown. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until it begins to brown. Add garlic and cook one minute.

Add the reserved chopped zucchini and eggplant, the tomato, thyme, rosemary, and chili flakes. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Allow mixture to cool a few minutes. Fold in the cheeses and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Divide the mixture among the hollowed out vegetables.

In a small bowl, toss the bread crumbs with the remaining olive oil. Lightly top the vegetables with the bread crumbs.

Bake the vegetables on a parchment-lined baking sheet until tender and tops are golden brown.

Serve as a side dish or as a meal with a hearty pilaf or grain salad. Serves four to six.

Recipe courtesy: Chef Roy Harland, Slates Restaurant

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