Baked Eggplant & Oyster Casserole

• 3 large eggplants, firm, dark  and elongated, peeled and diced
• 1 pint fresh oysters and liquid
• 1 pound button mushrooms
• ¼ cup butter
• 2 TBS olive oil
• ½ cup finely chopped onions
• ¼ cup finely chopped celery
• ¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
• 1 TBS minced garlic
• 2 ½ TBS flour
• ½ cup sliced green onions
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 1 TBS chopped oregano
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 1 ½ cups Italian bread crumbs
• 6 pats butter

1. In stock pot, boil eggplant in lightly salted water for 20 minutes, drain, and mash
2. Remove stems from mushrooms and dice caps; boil stems in 2 cups water for 20 minutes; reserved 1 ½ cups of mushroom stock; discard stems
3. In sauté pan, melt butter over medium high heat; sauté diced mushrooms 4 minutes until tender
4. Add olive oil, onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes until vegetables are wilted;
5. Sprinkle in flour and blend well; add reserved mushroom liquid and liquid from oysters using a whisk to create a white sauce
6. Add mashed eggplants, oysters, green onions, parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper; cook 8 minutes
7. Pour mixture into a greased casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and top with butter pats
8. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until bubbly

Serves 6-8