Anyone tried eggplants?

[chefkaren]

Eggplants! They're easy to plant, they bear fruit in around just a month or so. Low maintenance!

I had some eggplant umm plants before, but a flood washed them away. Just bought some seeds - planning to clear the garden and turn it into an eggplant (mini) forest!

 

[medtran49]

We actually have some plants growing now but they are still pretty small. The Rosita variety.

Karen

 

[chrispy]

Eggplants one of my fav veggies if you wanna have some great yummy ideas to prepare this tasty veggie let me know,you are very welcome

 

[CWS4322]

I'm with chrispy--I love eggplant. They are easy to grow and produce for most of the summer. I usually grow Black Beauty but have also grown Casper.

 

[silentmeow]

I love them too. I have six rosa bianca seedlings up already. They are the baseball sized purple and whites. Quite mild and I can sneak them into recipes and fool everyone else. I love them pan fried with a coating of flour and cornstarch. The flea beetles distroyed them within an hour of planting last year but I'm ready for them this year!

 

[vagriller]

I want to try making some ratatouille with them. I always thought didn't like eggplants but recently has some in that recipe and loved it!

 

[texherp]

yeah, they are one of the few veggies that can produce through the hot summer. I like the long Japanese types like the Ichiban variety.

 

[chrispy]

Eggplants baked in the ofen ,finely chopped add sauteed shallots ,garlic fresh thyme ,salt, pepper ,bit parsley........just wonderful as dip or even as side dish like i use it for Lambfillet with gremolata baked in springroll http://http://www.facebook.com/?ref...117391574949723.12733.100000366423666&theaterpastry,drizzeled with chilie oil,sundry tomato tapenade

 

[lifesaver]

I love eggplant! I like to roll it in egg and flour and fry it in olive oil.

Another good use is dicing it up and putting it in lasagna or spaghetti sauce. Yummy!

 

[Claire]

I love to make a grilled ratatouille. Take all the veggies -- thickly slice or just halve (depending on size) the eggplant, summer squash, onions. brush or toss with good olive oil, season with your favorite garlic seasoning (I like Cavendar's Greek). Put over the coals until browned (not long). Alternately, the eggplant (aubergines, by the way, for some of our friends0 pierced and left whole. In that case grill until almost blackened, then halve and scoop out the interior. Oh, yes, don't forget peppers of any color and heat of your choice.

Peel if you need to, chop to whatever consistency, toss, maybe with more olive oil. Especially in the summer when I have tomatoes, I don't even grill them, just chop and add last minute, but they can be grilled as well.

The first time around I just use it as a side dish for whatever else I'm preparing, but I make a lot extra. It is great over pasta, rice, or on a bed of greens.

Pureed, all you vegetarian friends: Add to beans, lentils, split peas for soup or chili. Your carnivore friends will NOT believe that you have no ham in them, you'll get that great smoky flavor.

 

[Claire]

One I've been wanting to try but haven't seen any in the stores around here yet is a preparation I've done for asparagus and green beans, and that is on my Cuisineart Griddler (obviously any other brand, those George Foreman type appliances). Same kind of treatment, olive oil and seasoning, then between the plates until the grill marks are dark. Great for a simple side dish, or again, over pasta or rice. I was amazed how much tastier they were than steamed, boiled, or even roasted. So I can't wait to get some eggplant and/or zuchini and try the same treatment. A stopgap until we set up the outdoor grill (or buy a new one!).

 

[taxlady]

I want to try making some ratatouille with them. I always thought didn't like eggplants but recently has some in that recipe and loved it!

It's one of the few dishes I like with eggplant (unless it's chopped very small so I don't get big chunks in my mouth).

I like to leave the skin on and use at least two colours of bell peppers. Makes such a pretty dish. I never bother salting the eggplant (to draw out the moisture) when making ratatouille, it works fine without.

 

[web-collage]

I don't salt and drain the eggplant either, just cook, bake, grill or slice into stir fry. My favorites are the Japanese variety because they grow and produce longer. In this area the nurseries don't carry anything but the large dark globe shaped plants, so you have to start your own. There is a middle-eastern saying about a man so rich he doesn't care how much olive oil his wife uses to cook the eggplant.

 

[jdthompson]

Eggplants! They're easy to plant, they bear fruit in around just a month or so. Low maintenance!

I had some eggplant umm plants before, but a flood washed them away. Just bought some seeds - planning to clear the garden and turn it into an eggplant (mini) forest!

Do eggplants require a lot of sun? I'll plant some if they don't. I like low maintenance.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Eggplant "French Fries" are a favorite here at Twin Oaks

 

[kadesma]

We make a eggplant sandwich that doesn't even hit the platter. They grab a spatula and dig them off the skillet as fast as I can put them together
kades

 

[mommyNY2]

2 eggplants cubed along with 3 tomatoes, 2 pepper different colors,onions, cooked-baked in the oven with some olive oil for an hour and every 20 min during the cooking i take it out of the oven and mix it up so it wont stick, can add diff spices like cilantro, salt,pepper, garlic (a bit)-blend it with hand blender, serve cold.

it's like a salad but can be served with meat or on a bread.

 

[Zereh]

I love love these! I can't find my scribbles about the conversions atm, but they're easy enough to find Via Google.

Involtini di Melanzane
Green Kitchen Stories


2 eggplants, thinly sliced (1 inch/2 cm)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt

Use a pastry brush to cover the eggplant slices in a thin layer of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and grill in the oven on high temperature until soft and slightly burnt. While they are in the oven, prepare the tomato sauce (but don’t forget the eggplant slices in the oven, then they will be burnt and impossible to roll. Yes we have tried that a couple of times …).

Hot Tomato Sauce:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried chili
2 tins canned tomatoes
freshly chopped basil
a pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add onion, garlic and chili. Let it stir for a couple of minutes, then add canned tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Let it simmer for at least 20 minutes. While simmering, prepare the stuffing.

Good stuff(ing):
200 g wholegrain bulgur (can also be replaced by couscous or quinoa)
1 tsp dried oregano
50 g pistachio nuts, finely chopped (save a little for topping)
200 g goat feta cheese, crumbled (save 75 g for topping)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large spring onion, finely sliced
2 tbsp capers, (drained of vinegar)
1 egg

Cook the bulgur according to the recipe on the box. Add the rest of the ingredients – except the egg – and stir around with a fork. Add the egg, use your hands to kneed it together with the rest of the stuffing.

Tasty Topping:
75 g goat feta cheese, crumbled
a dash of olive oil
a pinch of fresh (or dried) basil
some chopped pistachio nuts

Place the grilled eggplants, one by one, in front of you. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the stuffing at the bottom of it and roll up lengthwise away from you. Put them on a slightly oiled baking pan. Pour over the tomato sauce and the crumbled feta, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with fresh or dried basil and bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 15 min. Sprinkle some chopped pistachio nuts before serving.

 

[LindaLou]

Eggplant Parmesan is big down here in the south and oh so good. Actually, pretty basic: Slice your eggplant, dip in beaten eggs, dredge in Italian bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown, drain on paper towel. Layer in casserole pan with eggplant, your favorite Italian sauce, and a combination of your favorite Italian cheeses. Bake at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 30 to 35 minutes.

 

[CWS4322]

I haven't met an eggplant I didn't like...eggplant with black bean sauce is one of my favorites...I use eggplant instead of mushrooms sometimes in spaghetti sauce. I also like eggplant lasagne. I copied a bunch of Asian eggplant recipes that were in a cookbook my aunt has while I was in WI for Easter. Looking forward to trying them.

Because I am fond of purple (that is an understatement, I wear something purple almost every day and if I had my way, one wall in our living room would be painted aubergine--getting the DH to sleep in the lavender bedroom was tricky--but he finally is okay with the color--I know, if we want to sell the house, I'll have to get rid of the lavender in the bedroom and the lilac in the guestroom and the grey-lilac in my office, but I live in the house now, so I don't give a toot what a real estate agent or staging person would say).

I love eggplant in the garden not only for the fruit (it is a fruit, right?), but also for the purple blossoms. I have had little success with white eggplant (don't know why--but they don't seem to do as well as the purple varieties). I counted how many "purple" veggies we plant--we're up to 11!

I was just out scouting the garden--it has been wet and cold here during the month of April--I've been in the Midwest so avoided "mud season" with the dogs. I can hardly wait to plant and oh, about July 1, I should be harvesting eggplant...