When I was a kid, my mom was taking me along with her to visit my maternal grandparents. We lived in downtown Athens and my grandparents lived in Piraeus. That meant, back in the 70’s, that we had to take the subway and then get either a taxi or the bus to go to them. For me, since I was in my first decade, that was a trip. Every time we were arriving there, my grandmother had all the delicacies in the world for me and always was making my favorite meals.
My grandfather was an accountant, working in a company that produced pasta and spaghetti. One day when we arrived there my grandparents asked my mother if she could let me go with them on a one-day trip to Poros. Poros is an island very close to Athens and one can visit in the morning and be able to return in the afternoon. My grandfather had to go there and audit the local office and collect some money, so they thought they could do it as an excursion and take me with them as well. My mom said ok and so next morning we headed down to the port and took the first ferry to Poros.
Back then things were very simple here and life was not as extravagant as it is today. When we arrived at Poros, my grandfather took us to a nearby small forest and he left to do his work. My grandmother has brought we her a sack inside which there was everything necessary for an all-day picnic. She took out a large blanket and she started placing on top of it several bowls with all kinds of meze. We spent the day talking and relaxing, enjoying summer and the beautiful shadow the trees were offering to us. Little birds were cheeping and the cicadas were deafening us with their singing.
When my grandfather finished his business, he came to find us and we all sat down on the blanket to eat everything my grandmother has cooked and brought with her. The lunch consisted of meatballs, Greek salad, bread, cheese, olives, fried zucchinis and eggplants and spanakopita. We ate hungrily and then we took a nap under the trees with the sea breeze lulling us and keeping us cool.
Later in the afternoon we started packing to catch the last ferry. I must have been around four years old at that time, but this one-day trip to Poros has been written in my memory for ever. I am and always will remember the tranquility, the taste of the simple food we ate and the love of my grandparents. I think that, as long as we remember our loved ones who are not with us, they can never be forgotten. As I was making these eggplant rollini, I remembered that day and how much I enjoyed it although the means back then were very poor. Sometimes having less, is really more. These rollini are super easy and perfect appetizers now that it is eggplant season.
- 250 gr. / 8 oz. Mascarpone
- 3 large and long eggplants
- 1 cup Metsovone or any other smoked cheese, grated
- 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- 7 basil leaves, chopped
- 1 egg
- Pepper
- Marinara sauce
- More cheese to sprinkle on top
- Cut the eggplants lengthwise in slices about quarter of an inch thick.
- Place them in a drainer and salt them to release their waters and bitterness.
- Let them stay like this for about 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 200˚C / 400˚F.
- Wash them thoroughly to remove the salt.
- Place them on a pan covered with parchment paper.
- Salt them and brush them with olive oil.
- Bake them for about 20 to 30 minutes until they are soft and easy to roll.
- While the eggplants are baking make the stuffing.
- In a bowl add all the ingredients and mix to incorporate.
- Take a Pyrex or deep pan and add about 5 tbsp of marinara sauce.
- I made mine and I urge you to do the same.
- Homemade is a million times better than the store bought.
- When the eggplants are out of the oven and cooled a bit, they are ready to be stuffed.
- Take a slice and add a tbsp. of the cheese batter to its largest site.
- Role the eggplant and place it on top of the marinara sauce.
- Do the same for all of the slices.
- Pour some more marinara sauce on top of them and then sprinkle some more cheese.
- Bake in a preheated oven in 175˚C / 350˚F for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top has taken a golden color.
- 250 γρ. Mασκαρπόνε
- 3 μελιτζάνες μεγάλες και μακριές
- 1 φλ. μετσοβόνε ή οποιοδήποτε άλλο τυρί καπνιστό, τριμμένο
- 1 φλ. γραβιέρα τριμμένη
- 7 φύλλα βασιλικού, ψιλοκομμένα
- 1 αυγό
- Πιπέρι
- Σάλτσα ντομάτας
- Περισσότερο τυρί για να πασπαλίσουμε από πάνω
- Κόψτε τις μελιτζάνες κατά μήκος σε φέτες περίπου μισό πόντο παχιές.
- Βάλτε σε σουρωτήρι και αλατίστε για να ξεπικρίσουν.
- Αφήστε για περίπου 30 λεπτά.
- Εν τω μεταξύ, προθερμάνετε το φούρνο στους 200˚C.
- Πλύντε σχολαστικά για να φύγει το αλάτι.
- Τοποθετήστε τις σε ένα ταψί καλυμμένο με λαδόκολλα.
- Αλατίστε και αλείψτε με ελαιόλαδο.
- Ψήστε για περίπου 20 με 30 λεπτά μέχρι να μαλακώσουν ώστε να τυλίγονται.
- Όσο ψήνονται οι μελιτζάνες κάντε τη γέμιση.
- Σε ένα μπολ βάλτε όλα τα υλικά και ανακατέψτε τα να ενσωματωθούν.
- Πάρτε ένα πυρέξ και προσθέστε περίπου 5 κ.σ. σάλτσα ντομάτας.
- Βγάλτε τις μελιτζάνες από το φούρνο και αφήστε τις να κρυώσουν λίγο.
- Πάρτε μια μελιτζάνα και προσθέστε μια κουταλιά από το μείγμα τυριού στη μεγαλύτερη μεριά.
- Ρολάρετε τη μελιτζάνα και τοποθετήστε τη πάνω από τη σάλτσα ντομάτας.
- Κάντε το ίδιο για όλες τις φέτες.
- Ρίξτε λίγη σάλτσα πάνω τους και στη συνέχεια, πασπαλίστε με λίγο τυρί τριμμένο.
- Ψήστε σε προθερμασμένο φούρνο στους 175˚C για περίπου 30 λεπτά ή μέχρι το τυρί στην κορυφή να πάρει ένα χρυσαφί χρώμα.
- Βγάλτε από το φούρνο, αφήστε για δέκα λεπτά και σερβίρετε.
