Preheat the oven to 400ºF.

Place the eggplant on a cookie sheet and poke 2-3 times with a sharp knife.

Bake until the eggplant is soft all the way through, about 40 minutes.

Allow to cool.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350ºF.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, grind the nuts until they are the consistency of coarse crumbs.

Add the bread and celery and process until finely ground.

Add the rolled oats and pulse a few times to combine.

Cut the eggplant in half, then scoop the flesh from the skin and add to the processor (discard the skin) along with the Italian seasoning, sage, liquid aminos, and salt to taste.

Allow to sit, uncovered, for 20 minutes at room temperature.

Using a large ice cream scoop or 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop out mounds of the mixture and shape into patties (I flattened mine to about ¾-inch thick).

Place on a cookie sheet.

For browner patties, spray lightly with olive oil.

Bake at 350ºF for about 30 minutes, flipping the patties about halfway through, until browned on the outside and still soft on the inside.

For grilling, cool, cover, and refrigerate the baked patties overnight before reheating on the grill.