ZUCCHINI AND EGGPLANT STEW

Directions

We clean the eggplants, peel them in stripes, and cut them into large pieces. We place them in a bowl with a tablespoon of salt to release any bitterness for about half an hour.

While waiting for the eggplants, we cut the zucchinis, peel and chop the onions and garlic. We slice the onions into thin slices.

After taking out the eggplants, we pat them dry with absorbent paper towels.

In a frying pan with enough oil, we fry the eggplants, and separately, the zucchinis. We place them on absorbent paper towels to remove any excess oil.

In a saucepan, we saute the onions and then add the garlic and tomato paste. We reduce the heat to low and let the onions release their juices and sweeten. We can add a little sugar (optional if the onions are already sweet). We let them simmer until caramelized.

We place the eggplants and zucchinis in a casserole dish and pour the sauce on top. We bake at 180°C (350°F) for about three-quarters of an hour. Then, we crumble the feta cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes until the dish has a golden color.

We serve it warm, garnished with finely chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper. • We saute the onions slowly to allow them to release their water and sweeten. • The addition of sugar is optional depending on the sweetness of the onions. • After cooking and removing them from the oven, let them "rest" for about half an hour before serving."