Eggplant slices enrobe couscous in roll-ups

(Orange-Scented Eggplant and Couscous Rolls can be made ahead for an easy summer meal. Larry Crowe photo/The Associated Press)

It won’t be long before eggplants arrive at a farmers market near you.
My eggplants in the garden are now flowering and I hope to reap some of this classic vegetable this season, despite the dry conditions and my typical lack of luck in growing them. Maybe this year will be different and I will have a few to make some eggplant parmigiana or rollatini.

Fresh eggplant are delicious, without the bite that sometimes comes with the tired supermarket variety.

This recipe for do-ahead eggplant rolls from Jim Romanoff of the Associated Press is a light, easy meal that can be prepared ahead of time for a tasty summer supper. I love the stuffing combination of orange-scented couscous and feta cheese. I usually use a ricotta-mozzarella filling when making rollatini, but this one evokes the flavors of the Mideast in the mixture.
If you don’t want to light the oven to bake the eggplant slices in the heat of summer, fire up the grill, taking care not to overcook the thinly cut slices.
The eggplant rolls can be made up to two days in advance and refrigerated until you are ready to bake them.

(Eggplant from the farmers market last year were fresh and delicious)

Orange-Scented Eggplant and Couscous

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (30 minutes active)
Servings: 4

1. 1 large eggplant (about 1 pound)
2. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
3. 2 oranges
4. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6. 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
7. 1 cup water
8. 3/4 cup couscous
9. 2 cups crumbled feta cheese, divided
10. 4 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, divided
11. Ground black pepper, to taste
12. 1 cup prepared marinara sauce

• Heat the oven to 425 F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.
• Trim both ends of the eggplants. Standing one eggplant on end, slice it lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Discard the end slices of skin. Repeat with the second eggplant.
• Arrange the slices on the prepared baking sheets and brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Bake until lightly browned on the undersides, about 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and continue baking until the second sides are lightly browned and the flesh is tender, about 10 to 15 minutes longer.
• Meanwhile, to make the filling, grate the zest of a half an orange, then juice both oranges. Transfer the zest and juice to a medium saucepan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, the apple cider vinegar, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the water. Bring to a boil. Stir in couscous and remove the pan from the heat. Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
• Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork, then let cool. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the feta and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Season with pepper.
• Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place about 1/4 cup of the couscous mixture at one end of each eggplant slice. Pressing with your fingers to compact the filling, roll up each slice and transfer them, seam-side down, to the prepared dish.
• In a small saucepan, heat the marinara sauce until warm. Drizzle the marinara sauce over the rolls. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the rolls are heated through and the sauce is bubbling, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining feta and parsley just before serving.
  

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 508 calories; 246 calories from fat; 27 g fat (13 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 67 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 18 g protein; 8 g fiber; 1,085 mg sodium.