Stuffed Spiced Eggplants with Tomatoes and Pine Nuts (serves 4)

"When cooked, eggplants turn rich and creamy, losing the bitterness they have when raw. Italian eggplants, which are slightly smaller than ubiquitous globe eggplants, are the ideal size and shape for stuffing when halved, and two of them fit easily in a slow cooker. Inspired by the flavors of Turkey, where stuffed eggplant is a way of life, we created a simple stuffing with canned diced tomatoes, Pecorino Romano, pine nuts, and aromatics including onion, garlic, oregano and cinnamon. We simply nestled the halved eggplants cut side down in this fragrant mixture and let them cook until tender. After removing the eggplants from the slow cooker, we gently pushed the soft flesh to the sides to create a cavity, which we filled with the aromatic tomato mixture left behind in the slow cooker. Topped with extra cheese, pine nuts, and fresh chopped parsley, these eggplants look beautiful and are far easier to make than most traditional versions. Be sure to buy eggplants that are no more than 10 ounces; larger eggplants will not fit properly in your slow cooker. You may need to trim off the eggplant stems to help them fit. You will need an oval slow cooker for this recipe...."