Polpettone (Italian vegetarian torte)

Love it that we have the ingredients for some Italian food we recently sampled.

This dish is from Liguria. It's a typical summer dish, and it is best eaten cold or lukewarm. Once cooked, it can be preserved in the refrigerator for several days.

Ingredients (for about 8 servings)

Polpettone di verdure alla ligure - Vegetable loaf Ligurian style

1 large eggplant, or

  300g green beans, spinach, or any other veg

4 or 5 potatoes

3  cloves garlic

1 onion

3 eggs

4 tablespoons Parmesan

marjoram

oregano

basil leaves

breadcrumbs

extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper

Preparation

Boil the potatoes until they are soft. Let them cool, then smash them. 

Boil "al dente" the vegetables in a small amount of water, slightly salted. Let them cool, then chop them in small pieces. I used eggplant and baked it in the oven until soft and added some NZ spinach.

In a large pan, fry in oil the onion and garlic until golden. If using other vegetables add them at this stage. Cook for about ten minutes. Remove the pan from the stove. 

Then add the potatoes, cooked eggplant, and the herbs, minced. Add the cheese. Add more salt if needed. Add the eggs, scrambled. Mix everything.

Spread the inside of a ceramic or glass pie dish with oil, then sprinkle bread crumbs on it, so that the inside surface is all covered with crumbs and the food won't stick. Put the mixture in the casserole and make the surface even. Run a fork around the top for a nice pattern. Cover uniformly with bread crumbs. Sprinkle a bit of oil on the surface. 

Let it cook in the oven, at 390 (Fahrenheit) degrees, for about 45 minutes. Let cool a bit before serving. 

Serve warm or cold with tomato salad.