Fall is a lovely time of year, but it brings with it the gloomy reminder that winter is near. I’m usually the one in complete denial that summer is over, and I desperately hold onto that until that first craving for hot apple cider kicks in.  Thankfully these cool October days lure me into the kitchen and the organic offerings at my local farmers’ market were easily transformed into this elegant dinner. I started with an eggplant and tomato confit, which is a favorite recipe from Richard Olney’s Lulu’s Provençale Table. It’s very simple: basically chop up a mountain of eggplant and a mountain of tomatoes and cook them down with a touch of olive oil, salt, and herbs. I don’t bother peeling the tomatoes and I don’t always cook everything down completely.  Serve the confit with some seasoned rice and some Field Roast sausage, and you have a meal that tastes like you started cooking at 6 a.m. Any leftover confit will go great on pizza later on.

Seasoned Camargue Rice

• 1 C Camargue white rice (or any long-grain white rice)
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Boil two cups of water.  Stir in rice, oil, and seasonings. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow rice to sit for approximately 10 minutes.  Fluff with a fork and serve.