5/18/13 - Saturday at 12:30p - 1:00p

    Chef Kim McLendon
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna

3 eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices-about 3 1b
3 zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices- about 1 1/4 lb
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
2 red peppers, quartered and seeded
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 large egg
3/4 cup grated asiago cheese, divided
1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
9 lasagna noodles
18 ounces of Alfrado Sauce (homemade or jarred)
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat grill, Coat eggplants and zucchini with cooking spray. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Grill eggplant and zucchini 1 1/2 min on each side or just until tender. Cool; combine in a large bowl Place bell peppers on grill, skin-side down; grill 3 min or til tender. Cut into 1 inch wide strips. Add bell peppers to eggplant mixture.

Combine ricotta, egg, 1/2 c asiago, basil, parsley, remaining 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper.

Cook pasta according to pkg. Preheat oven to 375'F. Spread 1/2 c sauce on bottom of 13x9 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce.Top with half of the eggplant mixture. Spread half of ricotta mixture over eggplant mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 c mozzarella. Arrange 3 noodles and 1 cup sauce over cheese; cover with remaining eggplant mixture. Top with remaining ricotta mixture. Spread over ricotta; sprinkle with l/4 c mozzarella. Cover with remaining 3 noodles. Spoon 1 c sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 c asiago and mozzarella. Bake at 375'F for 1 hour. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

A sauce is the crowning glory of any dish. From the basic 'five mother' sauces, there are literally hundreds of variations of sauce that are used to dress, compliment, enhance and bring out the flavor of the food it is served with.

The development of various sauces over the years stems from the 19th-century French chef Antonin Careme who evolved an intricate methodology by which hundreds of sauces were classified under one of five 'mother sauces.' Those basic sauces are the white sauce Bechamel, the light stock-based Veloute, the brown stock-based Espagnole; the two basic emulsified sauces, Hollandaise and Mayonnaise; and the oil and vinegar-based Vinaigrette.

Always remember that when a sauce is used on a food, it is the first thing to touch the tongue. A sauce is only as good as the ingredients you put into it and the care you take while preparing it. On the other hand, a good sauce does 1itt1e to make inferior food taste better. Always put a good sauce on good food. Thankfu11y, we no longer use sauce to mask 'off-tasting food' as was once the practice in times before modern refrigeration!

The Five Mother Sauces

Bechamel, the classic white sauce, was named after its inventor, Louis XIV's steward Louis de Bechamel. The king of a11 sauces, it is often referred to as a cream sauce because of its appearance and is probably used most frequently in a11 types of dishes. Made by stirring milk into a butter-flour roux, the thickness of the sauce depends on the proportion of f1our and butter to milk. The proportions for a thin sauce would be l tablespoon each of butter and flour per l cup of milk; a medium sauce would use 2 tablespoons each of butter and f1our; a thick sauce, 3 tablespoons each.

3 tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup mozzarella cheese

Butter in medium saucepan with olive oil over medium/low heat, Add the garlic, cream, white pepper and bring mixture to a simmer, Stir often, Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer sauce for 8-10 minutes or until sauce has thickened and is smooth. When sauce has thickened add the Mozzarella cheese and stir until smooth. STIR FREQUENTLY. While the sauce cooks.