Pizza with Eggplant, Tomatoes, and Basil

Hmm, maybe I should have called this blog "Things to do with eggplant, tomatoes, and basil"... But of course, come winter, it will probably be more like "things to do with squash". That's the beauty--and the challenge--of eating what's in season locally. So here's another delicious way to prepare fresh tomatoes, eggplant, and basil. All from my garden, but, of course, abundant in farmers markets and local-minded grocery stores as well.

1 14-inch pizza crust
Olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, quartered and cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 large tomato (or equivalent), in 1/4-inch slices
1/2-1 cup coarsely chopped basil leaves (loosely packed)
4 ounces shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. If using pizza dough (rather than pre-baked prepared crust), use a pastry brush or your fingers to paint it lightly with olive oil, then pre-bake it for about five minutes. Remove from the oven.

While the crust is pre-baking, heat some olive oil in a skillet and saute the garlic and eggplant until the eggplant is soft.

Spread the tomatoes over the crust. Spread the eggplant and garlic over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil. Top with mozzarella. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cheese starts to brown.

Serves 2-4.