On the Table: Roasted Squash, Eggplant, and Tomatoes - with a Hint of Cinnamon!

I am loving the explosion of produce at the market these days!  I am also impressed with my local grocery store, which has really started emphasizing local produce.  They have a stand right at the front of the store where they display local produce, and the signs even indicate how far from the market the produce was grown.  It is clearly working as a marketing ploy (on me, at least), but I am impressed nonetheless.  I love having it as an option when I am grocery shopping and it is not farmers' market day!

Anyway, I guess what I am trying to say is that I have quite a supply of vegetables in the fridge this week.  Some are local and some aren't, but they are all delicious!  I decided to do something with squash and eggplant.  I love the taste and texture of roasted vegetables (plus I really appreciate not having to stand over a hot stove), so I decided to try roasting the squash and eggplant along with some tomatoes.  It is almost like an oven-made tomato sauce or ratatouille.  To prepare:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut up half a yellow squash and half an eggplant into small pieces (you could peel the eggplant, if you don't like the skin).

Put the pieces in a baking dish, and sprinkle them with canola oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper, rosemary, and cinnamon (the cinnamon adds an unexpected and delicious flavor!).  Toss everything together.

Cook in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and stir in a 14.1 ounce can of diced tomatoes in tomato juice (don't drain them - pour the juice into the pan as well).  You could definitely use fresh tomatoes instead. 

Cook for about 15 minutes more.  Taste (carefully!) and adjust seasoning. 

I served it over rice, though it would also be great with pasta, or on its own as a side dish!

Enjoy!