Sometimes it is good to be plump

I have a bad habit of scouring the shelves in gourmet shops and delis for new and interesting sauces. I tend to have a heavy hand with some things, so expensive things in fancy bottles are regular fixtures in my kitchen (plus it's a great way to learn more about cooking and get new ideas for dishes)
. Earlier this year, I found what looks like a gorgeous Italian pasta-y tomato sort of sauce. It has capers and three kinds of olives, artichokes and anchovies, along with some olive oil, pinot grigio and of course, tomatoes. But I never knew what to do with it.

Yesterday the solution leaped into my grocery cart in the form of a great, big, fat purple plumpness of eggplant. In an hour I will know if I am a genius or a complete nut.

I dredge the sliced eggplant in seasoned flour and browned it in some olive oil. I then layered it in a casserole with some browned hamburger and the tomato sauce and it's now baking.

Hmmm, can't wait!