Rhena's Stuffed Bell Peppers

Adding recipes to my summer garden cookbook that make use of what we have planted. White Lightening eggplant & Giant Marconi peppers will be put to use int his recipe. Serving size will vary - 1/2 a pepper to a whole one - depending on how big an eater. Found this in The Times-Picayune, the source of awesome eating. This is one of Marcelle Bienvenu's recipes. The article notes that this dish freezes well. Cooked rice instead of bread crumbs can be added to the mixture to thicken it. I think I will use brown rice when freezing for great winter eating.

• Ready In: 1 hr 35 mins
• Serves: 4-8

Ingredients

• 4  bell peppers, large
• 3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  cup onion, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup celery, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 1⁄2 lbs lean ground beef
• 2  eggplants, medium-size, peeled and chopped
•  salt, to taste
•  cayenne, to taste
•  breadcrumbs, fine dried
•  parmesan cheese, Grated

Directions

1. Slice the bell peppers in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, rinse under cool water and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and chopped bell peppers and cook, stirring, until soft and lightly golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring, until the beef is brown and all pink has disappeared. Add the eggplant, season with salt and cayenne, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally and mashing the eggplant with a fork as it cooks. The eggplant should be quite soft. If the mixture becomes dry, add a little water from time to time to keep it moist. Remove from the heat, then add enough bread crumbs to bind the mixture slightly. Cool the mixture for about 10 minutes.
3. Fill the bell pepper halves with equal portions of the mixture and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place the filled peppers in the bottom of a shallow baking pan and add just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
4. If you like the peppers to be a little softer, blanch the bell peppers (before filling) in boiling water for about 30 seconds, just enough to soften them up.