Casseroles are a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. We combine leeks and eggplant, which are often paired together in Greek cooking, along with fusilli pasta and turkey meat for a comforting, yet healthy dish. We use the Mastiha resin as a spice in this dish.  Although it is optional, it is a fun spice to add to your International pantry, and adds a unique nuance to the dish. See note below for details.

Olive oil (about ¼ cup total)

2 large or 4 small leeks, dark green parts removed

1 medium eggplant

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, boiling

½ cup grated Manchego cheese

200g cooked fusilli pasta

1 ½ cups leftover turkey meat

½ teaspoon ground Mastiha powder* (optional)

Salt and Pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut a slit down the length of the eggplant. Peel the garlic and slice vertically into thin slivers. Insert the garlic pieces into the slit in the eggplant and lightly brush all over with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Bake the eggplant in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until it is completely cooked through and the flesh has shrunken in from the skin. It should look deflated and sink when you poke it with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, scrape out the flesh into a sieve set over a bowl and drain of the excess liquid. Transfer to a bowl, along with the garlic and a pinch of salt, and fork mash it until it is well blended.

Meanwhile, slice the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse out the dirt well, making sure to get in between each layer. Slice the leeks in thin strips horizontally across.
Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sweat the leeks until cooked through and completely soft, seasoning with some salt along the way, about 15 minutes.
You can make the vegetables up to 1 day ahead of time and keep them in the fridge.

Once you have your leeks and eggplant ready, you are ready to put the dish together.
In a medium-sized pot, melt the butter and once it begins to froth a little, add the flour. Stir the flour and butter on medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, without letting it brown, to cook off the flour flavor. This mixture is called a roux.
Slowly pour in the boiling broth, whisking it into the roux as you pour. Once the broth is all in there, keep it at a simmer and let it thicken and reduce slightly. Add the grated cheese, followed by the prepared eggplant and leeks, pasta, and leftover turkey meat. Season with salt and pepper and Mastiha, and stir everything together. Pour into a 9x13 inch casserole dish and top with the grated Parmesan.
Set under the broiler for about 5-10 minutes until the Parmesan melts and browns.

Serves 8-10 people.

* Mastiha is a resin from the island of Chios in Greece. It has a lovely piney/camphoric flavor that goes beautifully with eggplant and leeks. You can purchase it at mastihashopny.com

This “primavera” recipe is different than most in that its base is a ramp sofrito. Ramps are wild leeks that come out in the spring. Feel free to add other vegetables as you see fit, but keep it seasonal. It also differs in that it is thickened with egg yolks, mimicking the “Carbonara” syle, as opposed to cream and butter.

1 lb. linguine
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
4 ramps, rinsed and outer membrane removed, roughly chopped
3 carrots, julienned
1 handful green beans, topped and tailed, and trimmed and halved if big
1 handful asparagus, trimmed, sliced and halved if big
3 portabello mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
2 egg yolks, beaten
Pecorino Romano or freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. While it comes to a boil, clean and chop your carrots, green beans, and asparagus.

Make a sofrito paste by blending the cleaned ramps and garlic in a mini blender with some olive oil and salt.

Blanch the green beans, asparagus, and carrots in the pot of water. Start with the green beans, giving them a few minutes before you add the asparagus. Add the carrots after another 2 minutes. Use tongs to remove the vegetables from the pot and rinse in cold water.

Heat up 1 tablespoon or so of olive oil in a large sauté pan and add the ramp sofrito. Let it sweat and cook slowly, so as not to burn. After a few minutes, add the mushrooms. If the pan gets too dry, add a few drops of water or dry white wine.

When the mushrooms have cooked through, add the beans, asparagus, and carrots. Stir together in the pan and turn down the heat to very low.
Cook the pasta in the same pot that you cooked the vegetables according to the instructions on the package. Reserve up to 1 cup of cooking liquid before you drain the pasta.

Drain the pasta and immediately return to the pot with some of the liquid. Quickly add the egg yolks and stir to coat well. Toss in the vegetables and cheese and toss again, so that everything is fully mixed.

Serves 4.

Possible additions: morel mushrooms, fresh peas, herbs such as dill, parsley, and mint.