Recipes by Jack Lord: Eggplant Parmesan; Spaghetti Sauce; Watercress Soup

Jack Lord's Eggplant Parmesan

Jack likes to use spaghetti sauce (recipe below) combined with eggplant,
to create Eggplant Parmesan.

Peel 2 medium-size eggplants into 1/2-inch slices. Cut green pepper in narrow julienne strips. Slice 1/2 lb. mozzarella cheese into thin slices. Arrange eggplant slices on lightly oiled baking sheet lined with aluminum foil; brown in preheated 400 degrees F. oven about 10 minutes. Cook 3 sliced Italian hot (or sweet) sausages in skillet over low heat, piercing with fork to allow fat to drain off. Slice sausages in 1/4-inch rounds. Arrange eggplant slices, grated Parmesan-Romano cheese (mixed), sausage, mozzarella and about 1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce in lightly greased shallow baking dish. Repeat layers until casserole is filled. Cover and bake in 300 degrees F. oven until heated through and cheese is stringy and browned (about 25-30 minutes).

Jack Lord's Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsps. olive (or salad) oil
2 cans (28 ozs. each) plum tomatoes, drained
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsps. chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsps. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 small boiled potato, peeled
1 lb. spaghetti
2 tbsps. salt
4 to 6 qts. boiling water
Freshly grated Parmesan (or Romano) cheese

To prepare spaghetti sauce, saute onion and garlic in olive oil in large skillet until golden. Add undrained tomatoes; break up tomatoes with fork. Stir in parsley, basil, 1 1/2 tsps. salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. About 15 minutes before end of cooking period, add potato. Remove potato at end of cooking period.

About 15 minutes before serving time, add spaghetti and 2 tbsps. salt to rapidly boiling water so that water continues to boil. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender. Drain in colander. Pour tomato sauce
over spaghetti in deep serving dish; serve with Parmesan cheese. Serves 6.

Thoughts: Jack generally prefers to mix together equal parts of Parmesan and Romano cheese.

Jack Lord's Watercress Soup

1 large bunch of watercress, washed, put in colander
4 1/2 cups water
1 3/4 lbs. peeled baking potatoes, cut in large pieces
1/2 cup milk
Butter to taste (3-4 tbsps.)
Salt and white pepper to taste

Remove leaves from watercress, place in colander. Break off tender part of stems, cut into smaller pieces and put in blender with 1 1/2 cups water. Add water a little at a time while in blender until leaves are dissolved; pour liquid through a sieve. Boil potatoes in remaining water until tender. Put potato water, potato, watercress liquid and watercress leaves in blender; whirl until just blended; then add milk. Heat slightly. Add butter salt, white pepper to taste just before serving. If desired, serve with homemade croutons (cubes of French bread lightly sauteed in small amount of butter until golden). Serves 4.