Eggplant? What to do?

[Llyra]

I have like a bazillion eggplants, from my CSA and our own gardens, and no idea what to do with them. Last week I wound up throwing some out, even, because they'd gone all limp.

I really only know how to make a few things with eggplant. I make ratatouille, and I make baba ghanoush. But that's it. We're not really huge fans of the texture of it, actually, and that makes it hard. Well, I like it, but my kids only eat it if it's disguised.

They're mostly smaller Asian varieties-- with white or purple skin, the longer narrow ones, not the big huge black ones you can buy in the supermarkets. And they're amazingly sweet, because they're so fresh, so there's no need for salting or anything like that.

But I'd love some ideas about other things I can cook with eggplant, if anybody has some. I hate to waste good food, but we have enough ratatouille and baba ghanoush to feed a whole army.

[Princess ConsuelaB]

What about eggplant parmigiana? You need to slice the eggplant, dip in egg and then breadcrumbs. Pan fry in olive oil, then layer in a baking dish with pasta sauce and mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake(I think around 350) until it's hot and the cheese is melty. Eggplant parm makes a yummy sub sandwich too.

[russsk]

Slow roast with tomatoes and olive oil, and scoop with bread or top pizza. Grill slices and top with a tangy tomato salad.

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by Princess ConsuelaB

What about eggplant parmigiana? You need to slice the eggplant, dip in egg and then breadcrumbs. Pan fry in olive oil, then layer in a baking dish with pasta sauce and mozzarella and parmesan cheese and bake(I think around 350) until it's hot and the cheese is melty. Eggplant parm makes a yummy sub sandwich too.

I thought of that, but I didn't know if I could do it with these small eggplants. They're like the diameter of a half-dollar at their widest point, so the slices would be really small.

[mumkimum]

Two things we like to make with eggplant here:

I make simple fried eggplant - the key to getting the buttery texture change is partly salting and cooking it long enough. So I salt, pepper, and season each side of a buncha slices (with cumin, coriander, cayenne) then let sit for 30 min, andthen fry until orange and golden, then sprinkle with cilantro and have lemon wedges. (We usually eat this with rice and some other indian dish). I've read that soaking in saltwater also gives you a super creamy buttery texture (you'd season the same way after doing your soak).


I also really like moroccan stews (usually they've got lentils, tomato, eggplant, peppers, and kalamata olives) and that's a good way to disguise the eggplants if you're not as into them. Here's a recipe for something like that. (I can't remember the name of the cookbook the one I like best is out of - but it's a vegetarian cookbook with mostly black cover and the lady who wrote it was from hawaii. . . and I think mine is boxed in storage at the moment. . ).

[velochic]

A very traditional Turkish way of preparing them that we do at home is called İmam Bayıldı. Here is a link to a very good example of how it's made. As I'd referred to in another thread about Mediterranean cooking, it has a TON of olive oil in it, but is considered a tasty and healthy eggplant dish. There are obviously variations from region to region and family to family, but this recipe is about how we make it and dh loves it (I'm not as thrilled about all the oil, but I like it, too.)

[velochic]

I thought of another Turkish dish my SIL makes with eggplant. It's called Patlican Salatası. It's a meze (appetizer) and is also tasty. Here is an example of how it's made.

[mamaofthree]

just saw this one on TV:
cut up 1 1/2 lbs of eggplant, sauté in olive oil until brown and soft, add pesto, serve over penna pasta with parmesan cheese. YUM! i am making this tonite!

h

[russsk]

For Passover my MIL makes a vegetarian alternative to chopped liver by frying slices on olive oil, then layering in a baking dish with lemon juice and parsley. You can keep warm in the oven, serve right away, or store in the fridge and serve cold.

[catnip]

I make strongly flavored Italian-style breadcrumbs, slice the eggplants into 1/2 inch thick slices, dip them in soymilk (or whatever you prefer) then coat in the crumbs. To serve right away, you then bake in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, flip, then another 15, and serve with pasta and tomato sauce. You can also freeze these before cooking on a cookie sheet in a single later, and they will keep for several months and still be amazing.

[cristeen]

I mostly use the small asian eggplants. For something like parmesan, slice them lengthwise instead if in rounds. I did pesto pasta with allof this week's eggplant. Sauteed up an onion, added the cubed eggplant and cooked until they were soft and brown. Stirred in the pesto and tossed it with penne. It was still really good stone cold the next day for lunch. I also did a stir fry this week with eghplant, left over steak, tomatoes, onion and red peppers.

Usually what i do with it though is slice it paper thin (lengthwise) on a mandolin, and fry them on hot cast iron with just a coating of oil until they're brown on both sides. Salt them as they come out of the pan and they're as satisfying as chips - the dark edges can get crispy, but the centers stay moist. It seems like a lot, but the 2 of us can eat 4 eggplants as a side cooked this way.

[la mamita]

Spaghetti with Let-My-Eggplant-Go-Free! Sauce
Serves 3 or 4

1 pound eggplant, cut into ½ inch slices
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
2 springs thyme or oregano, chopped
1 cup chicken stock or water
2 tablespoons sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes, minced
6 leaves basil, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper
1 pound spaghetti

1. Lightly salt the slices of eggplant, stack them back together and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Put the olive oil in a wide, heavy saucepan, add the garlic cloves, and set over low heat.

3. Dry off the eggplant, cut it into chunks. When you start hearing the garlic sizzle a little and can smell it, drop in your eggplant and stir to coat it all with oil. Turn up the heat a little bit to medium high and add the thyme or oregano and stir. When the eggplant is turning translucent and softening, add the liquid, let it come to a boil, and turn it back down to medium-low. Let it bubble for a bit and cover it, leaving a crack for steam to escape. Stir once in a while so that the bottom doesn’t stick.

4. After about 20 minutes or so, the liquid in the eggplant pan should be mostly evaporated and the eggplant should be soft and melting. Mash it with a fork or spoon, and adjust the seasoning to taste.

5. Toss the eggplant purée with the spaghetti that you cooked al dente. Stir in the minced tomatoes and basil. You can gild the lily with drizzling on some more oil. Serve immediately.

from: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_...spaghetti.html


I made this a few weeks ago, SO GOOD. I replaced a regular tomato with the sundried or roasted tomato and it turned out fine.

[EdnaMarie]

What about eggplant "caviar"? It's basically ratatouille pate. Hard to explain, but you cook everything basically the same as ratatouille, but with fewer tomatoes so there is less liquid. Probably half the tomatoes but a few more peppers. Then you stick it in the blender on pulse or whatever you have that will not entirely pulverize it. The bits of eggplant will be about 1/8 inch to 1/16 inch in diameter / on each side.

It's absolutely delicious. Or instead of ratatouille spices, you can use bulgarma spices: a bit of lemon, cilantro, a few bay leaves.

My mouth is watering! These taste SO GOOD on black bread or whole-wheat crackers. You can also can it if you have a pressure canner.

[chaoticzenmom]

Could you make some kind of eggplant chutney and can it for the rest of the year?

[Llyra]

Originally Posted by chaoticzenmom

Could you make some kind of eggplant chutney and can it for the rest of the year?

Wow, that sounds so YUMMY. I don't have a pressure canner, though, so I'd need a recipe-- to make sure the acidity is adequate to can.

Off to google it....

And for the other ideas-- thank you so much! I am going to start working my way through them!

[EdnaMarie]

You can freeze the pate, btw.

[lil_miss_understood]

We enjoy eggplant puree (aka baingan bharta) over rice. It's an Indian dish. Here's one recipe.

[greenmulberry]

Originally Posted by mamaofthree

just saw this one on TV:
cut up 1 1/2 lbs of eggplant, sauté in olive oil until brown and soft, add pesto, serve over penna pasta with parmesan cheese. YUM! i am making this tonite!

h

This is our standard summer dinner. If you have them, add in zucchini cooked with the eggplant, or fresh diced tomatoes right into the pasta, just depends on what is kicking in the garden!

[lotus.blossom]

Eggplant goes really well in a coconut milk curry! Acts like a sponge to absorb all that good sauce!

I've also made a yummy grilled eggplant rollup. Slicing it lengthwise and slathering it with olive oil and putting it on the grill. Roll it up with your favorite cheese and its super yummy.

[mama de dos]

check out smittenkitchen.com (great website if you're not already familiar w/it)

Today or yesterday's post was an eggplant topping for bruschetta- looked simple and super yummy

Enjoy!