Eggplant is Delicious...Really!

Here's a post from Peg who, by the way, grows practically everything she eats!

Eggplant is one of those veggies that people seem to either love or hate. Though I’m still not a huge fan, I do like it better now that I can get it either fresh from the garden or from the farmers market. Before growing it, most of the eggplant I’d eaten was bitter or too intense with ‘eggplant flavor’. If you don’t like it, you’ll know what I mean. In spite of all the salting, draining, squeezing, a too old eggplant will never taste good in my opinion. If you can get them fresh, not too large, while the skin is still glossy and the flesh is firm, you won’t need to do anything extraordinary to prepare it for your recipe. The taste should be mild and, since it absorbs oil and flavors, an enhancement to whatever condiments are used.

I’ve included a couple recipes with Italian preparations. Eggplant is often associated with Italian cooking, but it really is very versatile and found in a multitude of cuisines. These preparations are quite easy and tasty. I like them precisely because the eggplant does not overpower any of the other ingredients.

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

This is not a detailed recipe as you can be very personal with it and make as much or little as you wish. Since I’m not an avid lover of eggplant, I like this dish because it is not layered and therefore the sauce and cheeses play an equally important role.

I normally use two good sized very fresh eggplants which I slice lengthwise about ½ inch thick. I then brush both sides of the slices with olive oil and grill them on my gas grill until dark grill marks show on both sides and the slices collapse somewhat. Alternately, you can put them under the broiler until some dark spots form. Then lay them in a single layer in a baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Lay a slice of mozzarella over the top--I cover about ½ to ¾ of each eggplant slab with cheese. If you use fresh mozzarella you will get some liquid in the bottom of the baking pan when cooked, but it is quite good. Then put a spoonful or two of good thick tomato sauce over the cheese, and sprinkle parmesan all over the tops. Pop into a 350 degree oven until the cheese melts and oozes, and the dish is bubbly.

Antipasto di Melanzana (Eggplant Appetizer)

Mom and I made this recently for guests and it was a big hit. We used small, very fresh eggplants so the flavor was mild.

2 lbs fresh firm eggplants

1 lb fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped fine

1 ½ tbsp minced parsley

1 ½ tbsp minced basil

1 large clove garlic, minced (or more to taste)

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp capers, chopped

Juice of ½ lemon (or more to taste)

¼ tsp red chili pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roast eggplant on a baking sheet until very soft (30 to 45 minutes depending on size). Cool, peel and halve the eggplants—if seedy remove seeds. Mash eggplant and mix in remaining ingredients. Serve with crisp crackers or bread. Also good as a topping for crostini.