I was lamenting to my friend Carrie over lunch the other day that I didn't know what to do with all the eggplant I have accumulated. I kept thinking about making the old standard Eggplant Parmesan but I wasn't getting inspired to do so. Eggplant just isn't my favorite vegetable. Carrie perked right up when I told her my problem. This is one of her favorite recipes, and she was happy to share it:

Eggplant Polenta Casserole

1 cup dry polenta
3 cups water
salt to taste
3/4 cup smoked gouda or similar cheese
2 large eggplants, cut into 1 inch squares
olive oil
Italian spices
3/4 cup red onion
3-4 cloves garlic
red wine
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, or fresh
salt
pepper
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Whisk polenta and salt to taste into boiling water. Use a thick bottom pot and cook for 15 minutes, lowering heat to simmer. Add 3/4 to 1 cup of smoked cheese, shredded. Pour polenta onto wax paper and let it cool. Cut into squares.

Peel and cut 2 large eggplants into 1 inch square chunks. Toss in a plastic bag with olive oil, italian spices, salt and pepper. Lay out on a foil lined cookie sheet and roast until tender, about 30 minutes. Turn over halfway. While eggplant is roasting, prepare the sauce.

For the sauce, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onions are clear. Add italian spices to taste, salt and pepper, a splash of red wine, and two 14 oz. cans of diced tomatoes (or equivalent fresh). Simmer.

Layer sauce, polenta, eggplant and mozzarella cheese and repeat until you are out of ingredients in a casserole dish. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

I've just most of the last couple of weeks in the mountains on vacation. Even though I made a special trip home on pickup day to get my produce and take it back to the mountains, I haven't made much of a dent in my lettuce, cabbage, or beets lately. Vacations tend to bring out the worst of my eating behaviors...and I've been indulging in ice cream, lots of meat on the grill, and even chips and dip.
Well, now it's time to change that! I am wondering how to use up some of the lovely stuff that's overflowing in my vegetable bin, and in the recesses of my brain I remember an old favorite vegetarian recipe that uses a lot of the stuff I have on hand. Bingo! This'll work!

Colorado Sunset Burritos

8 large whole wheat flour tortillas (or your favorite kind)
16 oz. can vegetarian refried beans
1/2 cup taco sauce
2 cups grated cabbage, red or green
2 cups peeled and grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
Spread 3 tbsp. beans and 1 tbsp. taco sauce on each tortilla. Add lines of vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Microwave open faced until hot. Roll and serve.