Vegetable gardens around Pasco County might be seeing their eggplant come in. At not even 40 calories a cup, zero fat, a good source of fiber, and with potassium, iron, protein, and antioxidants, eggplant has grown in popularity over the years in both home kitchens and restaurant dishes. Not sure what to do with the eggplant in your garden? Here’s an easy recipe that even the kids will enjoy:

Eggplant Pizza Bites

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, cut into ½” thick slices

Coarse sea salt

Pizza or tomato sauce

1 cup grated Mozzarella

¼ cup basil, sliced

1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced

Garlic powder

Any other favorite pizza toppings! Sliced olives, baby spinach, sliced bell pepper, oregano, chopped garlic, etc.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper and place eggplant slices on the sheet, spaced out

Sprinkle coarse sea salt on top, set aside for 10 minutes

Bake for 15 minutes

Remove eggplant slices and flip over

Brush some olive oil on top of slices

Spread sauce over each eggplant slice, about 1 Tablespoon

Add toppings, herbs, and cheese

Continue baking until cheese is melted, about 5-7 minutes

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