Eggs in Purgatory

We recently rediscovered a wonderful vegetarian recipe book by Heidi Swanson (published by Ten Speed Press, 2015).  The book, Near & Far, has recipes with themes from San Francisco, Morocco, Japan, Italy, France and India.  Consistent throughout is the use of lots of fresh produce.  The following recipe is an adaptation of a recipe from this book, “Eggs in Purgatory,” which provided a very satisfying one-pan meal.  Highly recommended (both the book and the recipe!)

1 medium globe-type eggplant, cut into ½-inch thick slabs. 
(This could also be made with other types of eggplants, cut into thick strips). 
½ cup whole-wheat flour
1-pound fresh tomatoes chopped into small pieces
4 eggs
Olive oil
Sea salt
2 teaspoons chopped fresh jalapeño or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Fresh marjoram, oregano or basil, diced

Boil the eggplant in a pot of salted water for about a minute, until just barely tender.  Drain, shake off extra water, and toss with the flour in a large shallow bowl.  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, arrange the eggplant in a single layer and fry until deeply golden, 4 to 5 minutes, flipping once to get color on both sides.  Stir the salt and jalapeño (or red pepper flakes) into the chopped tomatoes and add to the pan. Give the pan a shake to distribute the sauce evenly.  Bring to a simmer, then use a spoon to make little pockets for the eggs near the outer edges of the skillet.  Gently break the eggs into the pockets, cover the skillet, and cook until the eggs are set – 5 minutes or so.  Sprinkle the fresh herbs on top.