Our specialty

We’re known as the eggplant experts, and we’ve earned that position. Since the 1950s, we’ve been the premier eggplant grower and shipper in North America, delivering significant volumes of the top varieties.

Rated by our customers as “the best quality” eggplant, our signature Malena Brand continues to exceed expectations. Over many years we have perfected the art of growing this beautiful yet delicate fruit year-round, using the best of our family’s Mediterranean practices combined with the latest in agro-technology.

Eggplant Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients

    • 2 Malena eggplants (cut in slices)
    • 1 cup of water
    • 1 lb of lean ground beef
    • 2 garlic cloves (chopped)
    • 1 teaspoon of dried basil
    • 1 small onion chopped
    • 12 oz. package of oven ready lasagna
    • 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
    • ½ cup of parmesan cheese
    • 1 jar of spaghetti sauce
    • 2 8oz individual packets of Philadelphia cream cheese

Directions

    • Preheat oven to 425°F
    • Cook ground beef with garlic, onion and basil for five minutes.
    • In a medium bowl combine mozzarella cheese with Philadelphia cheese and mix well until completely blended.
    • In separate bowl combine spaghetti sauce, water and cooked ground beef.
    • Grease a 9x13 casserole pan and cover with a layer of lasagna, then cover with ground beef mixed with the sauce, put the sliced eggplant and then mozzarella & parmesan cheese on top.
    • The top layer will consist of ground beef, eggplant slices, the mixed cheeses and top it off with parmesan cheese.
    • Cover casserole pan with aluminum foil and bake for 60 minutes until the lasagna is fork tender.
    • Let stand for 10 minutes, seal and foil in Aluminum before cutting and serving.

Interesting facts

  1. Due to its high protein content, eggplants are a great option for meatless meals.
  2. Eggplants are a low sodium, free of fat, and relatively high in fiber.
  3. Eggplants are also great sources of antioxidants, one of the body’s best lines of defense against a wide variety of diseases and conditions.
  4. Eggplant poses as a vegetable, but is actually a member of the berry family.
  5. Eggplants were named ‘eggplants’ in the 1700s in Europe, because some eggplants were white in color and looked like bird eggs.