Air Fryer Eggplant Parmesan

Have you heard of the “technology adoption curve” or “innovation adoption lifecycle”? It describes how quickly different proportions of a population accept new technologies and practices. It looks something like this:

That’s right. I’m usually so far behind the rest of the population that I can pick up the “new” technology at thrift stores for a fraction of the price once everyone else has moved on to the next new thing. How far behind am I? My tractor is turning 72 years old next month. My car is older than I am. I’m still using my 12-year-old printer (it was free!) And, fourteen years after its introduction, I finally bought an air fryer.

I was pretty hesitant to buy one for several reasons. Did I really need another cooking gadget? Surely my ancient toaster over (an excellent thrift store score) would suffice? If I bought an air fryer, would I immediately slide down the slippery slope of buying junk food like frozen onion rings, mini corn dogs, and mozzarella sticks?

Even accidentally winning a trivia contest about air fryer cooking two years ago didn’t convince me to purchase one. So thank you to the CSA members who finally convinced me to go for it!

My very first experiment in the air fryer: eggplant parmesan. Delicious! (Plus, convenient to use up the last of the eggplants and tomatoes of the season).

Subsequent experiments indicate I still have some work to do to perfect sweet potatoes, salmon, and egg bites. Grilled cheese was amazing, though! Up next: experimental air fryer aloo gobi (an Indian cauliflower dish).

Eggplant Parmesan Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 large or 2 small eggplants

• 1/2 cup flour

• 2 eggs

• splash of milk

• 1 cup bread crumbs

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 1 cup marinara or tomato sauce

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• Chopped basil or parsley for garnish (I used parsley and oregano)

directions

Slice eggplants into 1/2” thick rounds, lightly salt both sides (optional), and let sit.

In a shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Put flour in a third bowl. Preheat air fryer to 370-390 degrees, depending on settings available.

Pat eggplant slices dry with a paper towel. Dip each slice first in the bowl of flour, fully coating the slice. Then, dip in egg bowl. Finally, place in bowl of bread crumbs and ensure the slice is fully coated with bread crumbs.

Arrange slices in single layers (you’ll need multiple racks or to do several rounds of cooking) in the air fryer, and air fry for 6-8 minutes (check regularly to ensure they’re not too brown). Flip slices and air fry another 4-6 minutes.

While eggplant is cooking, warm the marinara sauce. Or, if like me you don’t have any, make your own tomato sauce by sautéing onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, and spices/herbs. Allow to simmer while eggplant is cooking.

When eggplant is done, spread a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of the plate. Arrange eggplants on sauce. Immediately sprinkle with cheese so it melts and then top with herbs.

How can I afford a CSA share?

CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture subscriptions) carry the misconception of being expensive because the entire season is paid upfront. However, with a little saving up, they don’t have to break the bank, and they often end up providing greater value over the season than the initial cost. It’s a bit like buying in bulk.

Let’s take a look at how a CSA box can fit in the budget.

A small CSA box (5-6 items every week) for the 2025 season (20 weeks: June through mid-October) is $475.

Start now and save up $16 a week in order to put down the $100 deposit by the end of the year. This reserves your spot in the CSA.

Then plan to set aside $29 a week in order to pay the remaining cost by April 1st. You’re all paid up!

Then what? Starting with strawberries in June, and running clear through sweet potatoes in October, you’ll get a box of the freshest produce every week for 20 weeks without paying any more money all season! In a good year, you’ll even end up with more produce than the box was valued at (last year, our CSA members received $57 MORE product throughout the season than they paid for)!

A little saving up in the beginning can result in a lot of saving in the end! Find out more about the CSA here.

This post was originally published in November 2021, and has been updated.

Eggplant Mini Pizzas

Don’t be afraid of cooking with eggplant! If you’ve never used it before, here’s a very simple recipe to try it out.

Ingredients:

• 2 eggplants

• 4 Tbsp olive oil

• 1/2 cup pizza sauce or marinara

• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• small package of pepperoni

• 3 leaves fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease pan well or use parchment paper. Cut eggplants into 1/2” rounds. Brush both sides of each round with oil. Bake for 10-15 minutes until soft. Remove from oven, spread 1-2 Tbsp sauce on each round, then sprinkle with cheese and add toppings. Return to oven for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with freshly chopped herbs.

Substitutions:

• I didn’t have marinara or pizza sauce, so I stirred some tomato paste into spaghetti sauce.

• Try parmesan instead of mozarella cheese.

• Use any toppings you like: mushrooms, bell peppers, sausage, etc.

• Try this in an air fryer and let me know how it works!

Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Last spring one of my friends was preparing for a surgery and was on a very restrictive diet. To liven things up, I offered to make supper with lots of fresh ingredients from the farm. It was a really fun challenge to prepare a 5-course meal that was under 1000 calories.

This is the first course in the Asian-themed, low-calorie, five-course meal: shrimp lettuce wraps as an appetizer.

ingredients

• 2 Tbsp lime juice

• 1 to 2 Tbsp gochujang (which is a Korean hot pepper paste), or your favorite hot sauce

• 1 Tbsp oil (try sesame if you have it)

• 2 tsp honey

• 1 green garlic, grated (or 1 clove garlic)

• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger

• 1 lb small shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 head romaine lettuce (or other head lettuce), leaves separated

• 1 cucumber, cut in small cubes

• several radishes, sliced (or substitute salad turnips)

• several leaves fresh mint (or basil, or cilantro), cut in small ribbons

directions

Combine lime juice, gochujang, oil, honey, garlic, ginger, and shrimp in a bowl, stir, and let marinate in the fridge for an hour.

Preheat oven to 425. Arrange shrimp on a sheet pan and roast until just opaque throughout, about 10-15 minutes.

Allow shrimp to cool slightly, then lay out lettuce leaves and fill with shrimp, cucumbers, radishes, and mint.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

The first boxes of the spring CSA season went out this past week! Here’s what they included: sweet potatoes (stored from last fall’s harvest), green garlic, arugula, leaf lettuce, french breakfast radishes, and chive blossoms.

One of the perks of CSA membership is the weekly CSA email. This email includes a list of each item in the CSA box that week along with storage and preparation tips. It also features one of the items in the box with a deep dive into its history, nutrition, and additional preparation suggestions. And, each week Farmer Katie selects or creates a recipe that utilizes some or all of the items in the box.

This week’s recipe utilizes all six of the items in the box, and it is delicious!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Arugula Salad

INGREDIENTS

Salad:

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced (or substitute green garlic)

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

6 cups baby arugula (and/or other salad greens)

4 radishes, sliced very thinly

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives (or chive blossoms)

Honey-balsamic dressing:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons olive or sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss the sweet potatoes and onion with the oil, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes, stirring gently every 5 to 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 400°F and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes until the sweet potatoes are golden brown. Continue to stir the sweet potato pieces as needed to prevent over-browning. Remove from the oven when soft throughout and let cool slightly.

In the meantime, whisk together vinegar, honey, mustard, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a medium bowl toss together arugula, sliced radishes, and chives. To serve, arrange arugula mixture on plates. Spoon sweet potatoes over arugula, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, drizzle with dressing, and serve. (Serves 4)

Recipe adapted from: The Iron You