I took my last kayak paddle for the season this morning. The weather forecast is for high winds later today along with colder temperatures into next week. The birds were all present and active; egrets, herons, ducks, cormorants, pelicans along with one of our resident eagles surveying his theifdom from above. For a late breakfast I made fried potato rounds, stir fried yellow squash and onions with fresh eggs on top; almost an English “fry up.” I am working down my last tomatoes and cooked up my last eggplants last night, which are one of my favorites.
I want to talk a bit about the elegant eggplant which, from what I have gathered, is underrated in this part of the country. The wild version of eggplant is thought to have originated in India, was first cultivated in China and then introduced to numerous Mediterranean regions in the early Middle Ages by traders from the Middle East. It was then brought to Spain by the Moors in the 12th century before finding its way to the rest of Europe in the 16th century. It is a member of the Salicaceae family, which includes its American cousin’s potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. Eggplant is also known as aubergine and brinjal. There are many varieties of eggplant grown around the world in many shapes, sizes and colors. However, there are two primary varieties of eggplant grown in the US; Italian eggplant, which are large globes and Chinese/Japanese eggplant which grow in various long narrow cylinder shapes and sizes. Eggplant is a good source of flavonoid pigments known as anthocyanins which can help in maintaining the health of the cornea and the blood vessels in the eyes, thus reducing the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggplant is also an excellent source of fiber, potassium, magnesium, copper, folate and vitamins B1 and B6. Its phenols and flavonoids can also fight viruses, harmful bacteria and cancer.
I previously mentioned rescuing 33 beautiful eggplant starts from the greenhouse in late spring several years ago who found a home in my new perennial flower bed. Boy, did I have eggplant that year! There are many options for preparing eggplant but I have yet to figure out an acceptable way of preserving it via freezing, drying or canning. I stir fried and added eggplant to chutney I canned several years ago but don’t think I used the right spice mix. Last night, I fried my last two smaller Japanese eggplants up in small rounds and served them on top of leftover handmade spaghetti and homemade red sauce thick with fresh veggies. Yum!
Let me share a few of our favorite eggplant recipes with the hope you become brave enough yourself to try one. Greek Moussaka is a ground lamb, sliced eggplant, tomato sauce, béchamel (white cream sauce) layered dish with a hint of cinnamon and/or nutmeg. It’s yummy but a bit labor intensive, kind of like eggplant parmigiana. Baba Ganoush is a Middle Eastern dip made with roasted eggplant pureed with lemon, garlic and tahini (sesame spread) served with olive oil on top alongside raw vegetables, olives and pita bread. It is kind of like hummus but with a different texture. I have also made Stuffed Eggplant using a sausage veggie stuffing with cheese and breadcrumbs on top. I have also seen several eggplant dishes on the menu in Chinese restaurants (i.e. Eggplant in Garlic Sauce and Spicy Szechuan Eggplant). It would also be great added to vegetable soup and its texture would thicken the soup.
By far our favorite recipe is a simple Grilled Eggplant. We slice them ¼ inch thick, sweat some of the bitterness out with salt for 30 minutes, rinse the rounds then marinate them in olive oil and Italian seasonings for a while and put them on the grill. When they are almost fully cooked we wrap them in foil and let them steam for about 10-15 minutes. They come out smoky soft and are especially delicious served with pork tenderloin which is one of husband Paul’s specialties. So, all in all, I think this is a vegetable folks should rally around during next year’s growing season. They seem to grow well here in the upper Midwest and will lead to great conversations as you start distributing extras to your neighbors and friends. Don’t forget to come my way with a few! 2018