2 large onions, chopped
4 large eggplants, cubed in 2-3 inch squares
6 cloves of garlic
4-6 very large tomatoes peeled and cubed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped finely
2 green peppers, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound of ground beef or lamb
Olive oil or other oil for frying

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cover the bottom of a deep sauté pan with olive oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until translucent. Add ground meat and continue sautéing until the meat is cooked. Then add green peppers and sauté until they begin to change color. Add the tomatoes and the parsley and cook a few minutes if necessary to soften the tomatoes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Fill a midsize, deep-sided pot with olive oil and heat until hot, but not smoking. Fry the cubed eggplants in batches until the cubes are a couple shades darker then golden brown.
Lay them on a flat surface covered with cloth or a paper towel to drain the excess oil, but do not squeeze them.

Cover the bottom of 9x12x3-inch baking dish with the fried eggplant cubes. Spoon in the sautéed meat mixture, gently folding it into the eggplants being careful not to break up the eggplant cubes too much.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, until bubbling.

Note: To make vegetarian musakka, substitute 2 pounds mushrooms for the ground meat.

PUMPKIN MARMALADE

This recipe, adapted from the 1976 edition of Putting Food By, one of the most-often referenced guides to preserving foods, has worked beautifully for publisher Renee Brooks Catacalos and the stray pumpkins she collects from friends and family during fall. The pumpkin provides some of the color and the substance, but the citrus provides most of the flavor. Marmalade fans will love this. If you've never made jam, you might be surprised by the amount of sugar used, but don't skimp or your product won't gel properly. Also, note that it takes about two days to complete.

1 medium 9-10 pound pumpkin
7 pounds sugar
6 lemons
2 oranges

Carve the pumpkin in half and use a large metal spoon to scrape out the seeds and fibers, just as you would before carving a jack o'lantern. Carefully, using a heavy sharp knife, cut the pumpkin shell into quarters, and each quarter in half. If it's a very large pumpkin, you may want to cut it one more time to make pieces that you can easily keep a grip on while peeling them. Using either a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, position each chunk of pumpkin with a flat side down on a cutting board, and peel the outer rind from the top of the piece down to the board.

Cut the peeled pumpkin into ½-inch cubes and place in a large stockpot, tossing with 4 cups of sugar. Let stand overnight. The sugar will dissolve as the pumpkin cubes release their water.

The next day, wash the citrus fruits thoroughly (use organic if you can), cut them open and pick out the seeds. Process the entire fruit, skin and all, in a food processor or grinder until it is chopped into very small pieces, but not pureed. Add the citrus fruit to the pumpkin, add the rest of the sugar, and place the pot over low heat. Stir over low heat until it boils. Reduce the heat to medium and keep the pot at a fast simmer for 3-4 hours, stirring often to prevent sticking or scorching. Boil until the fruit is clear and the syrup is thick. It might not set up as firm as a jam with added pectin, but it will be as delicious. Test for doneness by putting a spoonful of syrup on a small saucer and putting it in the freezer for two minutes. When you take it out, if it is soft-set and not runny, your marmalade should be done.

This recipe makes about 10 pints of marmalade. Sterilize your jars by running them through the dishwasher and leaving them in the heat dryer until you are ready to use them. Process your pint jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes, following the directions that come with your jars. Or, jar the marmalade, let cool overnight, and share with friends and family to use immediately, keeping it in the refrigerator for up to a month.

GREEK-STYLE MOUSSAKA

This is the way Edible Chesapeake publisher Renee Brooks Catacalos learned to make moussaka from her late father-in-law, Louis Catacalos, a long-time restaurant man in San Antonio and Houston, Texas.

3/4 pound ground lamb or beef
2 medium onions, chopped
4 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
¼ cup red wine
1 teaspoon coarse salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

1 medium eggplant
olive oil, butter or nonstick spray for frying

6 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups warm milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

First, prepare the ground meat filling for the moussaka. Heat a large skillet to high, add the butter or margarine, and brown the ground beef or lamb with the chopped onions. Add the parsley, tomatoes, wine, salt and pepper and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

While the meat is simmering, prepare the eggplant. Peel the eggplant, then slice it lengthwise into ½-inch slices. You should have 12-16 slices. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough olive oil or butter, or a combination of both, to cover the bottom. Place as many eggplant slices in the pan as will fit without crowding and fry until golden on one side. Turn and fry the other side. Repeat this process with all the slices, adding oil/butter before each batch. Drain the slices on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a deep 8-inch square casserole with nonstick spray. Place a layer of eggplant slices on the bottom of the casserole and sprinkle with salt. Spread half the meat filling on top. Add another layer of eggplant with a sprinkling of salt. Cover with the remaining meat filling, and finish with a final layer of eggplant. Set aside while you make the cheese soufflé topping.

In a heavy saucepan, melt the 6 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Slowly pour in the warm milk, whisking to blend. Continue cooking and whisking over medium heat until the mixture thickens, 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in the beaten eggs thoroughly, then add the cheese and nutmeg. Pour over the casserole, covering the entire surface, but be careful not to overfill.

Bake 35-45 minutes, until the topping has puffed up and browned. Remove from oven and let stand at least 30 minutes before serving. It is excellent made a day ahead and reheated. Serves 4-6.

This is basically a fried fish with a Creole-ish style tomato sauce. Just about any local fish fillet will work just fine. If you don't want a fried fish simply change the recipe by sautéing, grilling, or even baking the fish - and serve with this spicy sauce.

Serves 6

1/3 cup vegetable oil or butter, plus oil for frying
1 small yellow onion, diced
6 green onions, finely chopped
1 small green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 or 2 Serrano or Jalapeno chilies, minced (see note)
4 large, ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
1/2 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
2 pounds perch fillets
All-purpose flour seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper
Milk or lightly salted water, as needed
Yellow cornmeal, for coating

Heat the oil and butter in a pot. Cook the yellow and green onions, bell peppers, and celery over low heat for 10 minutes. Add the garlic, chilies, tomatoes, tomato juice, wine, lemon juice, Worcestershire and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

For the fish, pour oil into a large skillet to a depth of ½-inch. Dust the fillets with seasoned flour. Dip the fillets first in the milk or water and then in cornmeal, shaking off the excess. Fry until golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fillets to a heated platter. Remove and discard the bay leaf and serve the fish topped with the tomato sauce.

Note: When choosing what kind and how many chilies to use, know their strength. If you want to minimize the fire, remove the seeds of the chili. If fresh chilies are not available, ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper may be substituted. Also it's a good idea to wear plastic gloves when handling the chilies.

Variations: This basic sauce is great with just about any fried white fish. It also makes a marvelous sauce for grilled bluefish fillets that have been lightly marinated with olive oil, garlic, and rosemary sprigs.

Adapted from Chesapeake Bay Cooking with John Shields, Broadway Books, 1998