Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwich

Happy Belated Earth Day!  This year, the family and I celebrated picnic style at our local arboretum.  As we enjoyed the beautiful grounds and peacocks, we stuffed ourselves with Italian Eggplant Parmigiana Sandwiches.  I used the same recipe as this (but also layered in sharp provolone cheese this time) and simply put it between two pieces of toasted bread.  A bit messy but completely worth it.  It's tangy from the marinara sauce, but a little salty from the parmesan and provolone cheese.  And people wonder why I've never had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... ;)

This particular sandwich has a bit of history.  In the late 50's my grandparents splurged and took the whole family (including a wheelchair bound grandmother) to Disneyland.  Because they were poor, they couldn't afford to feed everyone DL hotdogs, etc.  And because they didn't allow you to bring food in, they snuck in enough Eggplant Sandwiches to last them an entire day in my aunt's stroller and Grandma's wheelchair!  Think about it... 6 people times 3 meals each... that's a ton of Eggplant Sandwiches to hide successfully!!  To this day my mom and uncle remember the mortification of having to eat these Italian "immigrant" sandwiches throughout the day while watching every other child eat American theme park food.  Since then, my mother has gotten over it... not sure my uncle has!  But every time we eat these delicious juicy sandwiches, we get to revisit a funny memory.

Earth Day Adventures:

Mom playing scoop ball with the local Peacocks

A walk to the Waterfalls

Enjoying Spring bloom: Poppies