Garden Goodness Dinner

I concocted this one to use up some of the produce that's showed up this week in our garden.

Peel two eggplant and cut into slices about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a cookie sheet or other flat surface and salt to draw out the moisture. Let 'em sit ten or fifteen minutes while you chop things:

Three good sized chicken breasts, cut into roughly 3/4 inch cubes
Three large fresh tomatoes, diced
One large fresh onion, diced
One large fresh green pepper, diced

Put about 1/4 cup olive oil in each of two skillets and heat to just shy of smoking. Cook the eggplant in a single layer (that's why I needed two skillets, though you could do it in one in shifts) until nicely browned on both sides. Add more olive oil if necessary. When done, line the bottom of a 13x9 glass pan with the eggplant.

This would be a good time to turn the oven on to preheat to 350.

In the remaining olive oil, add the chicken and onion to one skillet and the tomatoes and green pepper to the other. Cover the chicken and cook at medium, stirring occasionally, until the outside is lightly browned. Leave the tomato-pepper mix uncovered and bring to a boil, then simmer lightly. Should take these about five minutes to cook down.

In a bowl, mix one cup of shredded cheese, two eggs, five crushed cloves of garlic, basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste.

Now add layers on top of the eggplant: first the chicken, then the tomato-pepper mixture, then the egg-cheese mixture, spreading it as evenly as possible. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and appreciate.