By Mother's Day is Sunday and Brandon made me breakfast in bed, which he has done every Mother's Day for thirteen years with varying degrees of success. This year: scrambled eggs that were correct, toast slightly darker than intended, orange juice in the good glass. And a handful of lilac sprigs that Noah had picked from the bush in the side yard without asking anyone, which Brandon had not supervised, requiring a phone call to the neighbor to apologize. The neighbor said it was fine. The lilacs were already in a jelly jar on the nightstand. I left them there all week.
The kids' gifts were the kind that matter most and cost least. Ethan, twelve, gave me a handwritten card and a list of five dinners he would help make this summer, each meal written out and signed like a contract, because he is his mother's child and understands that what I need most is not flowers but reliable assistance on a Tuesday night. Olivia made a watercolor of our house with the mountain in the background. Mason built me a recipe card box from scrap wood: hinged lid, dovetail joints he had clearly practiced, a small heart burned into the front with a woodburning tool. He is eight and already doing joinery. I put it on the counter next to the notebook and have been filling it with recipe cards all week.
I spent Sunday afternoon making freezer meals for Sister Aarons, who had her baby Thursday, a little girl, the third, born fast and healthy. Now there is a family of five with a newborn and two children under four and a refrigerator that will be empty by Tuesday unless someone intervenes. Four bags taco soup, two bags chicken enchiladas, one bag meatball marinara, two trays breakfast burritos. I drove them over Sunday evening and left them on the porch without knocking because she was probably nursing. There is a specific joy in knowing someone will open their freezer Tuesday night and find dinner waiting, assembled by hands they do not have to thank.
A year ago on Mother's Day I was six months out from Grace and I wore a smile all day like a garment I was borrowing. This year the smile was mine to wear. That is not nothing. That is a significant amount of something.
Workshop is in five weeks. The handouts are laminated. I practiced the full sequence Saturday morning in fifty-eight minutes. The timing is right.
The meatball marinara I packed for Sister Aarons started with this sauce—the same one I’ve been making on autopilot for years, the kind that fills the house with a smell that means someone is being taken care of. Mason’s little recipe card box was already sitting on the counter waiting to be filled, and the first card I reached for was this one. Eggplant fries are what we make on the nights the sauce is already simmering and we need something to dip into it; they are low-effort and unreasonably satisfying, and they belong in the box right next to the meals worth driving across town to leave on a porch.
Eggplant Fries with Marinara Sauce
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 lbs), cut into 1/2-inch fry-shaped strips
- 1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, plus more for drawing out moisture
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- Olive oil spray
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, warmed, for serving
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Draw out moisture. Lay the eggplant strips on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let sit 10 minutes, then pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. This step keeps the fries from going soggy.
- Preheat and prepare. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and set a wire rack on top. Spray the rack generously with olive oil spray.
- Set up the breading station. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs in a second shallow bowl. In a third bowl, combine breadcrumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Bread the eggplant. Working in batches, dredge each eggplant strip in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg, then press firmly into the breadcrumb mixture to coat all sides. Place on the prepared rack.
- Bake. Spray the tops of the breaded fries lightly with olive oil spray. Bake for 22–25 minutes, flipping once at the 12-minute mark, until deep golden and crisp on the outside and tender through.
- Serve. Transfer to a platter immediately and serve alongside warm marinara sauce for dipping. Garnish with fresh basil if desired. These are best eaten right from the oven.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 610mg