Eggplant tips
adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini
• Eggplant can be peeled, but peeling is not essential. It depends on personal preference and the intended dish.
• Eggplant is always cooked, eliminating a toxic substance called solanine.
• To bake: Prick eggplant all over with a fork and bake at 400° until flesh is tender, about 30-40 minutes. Flesh can be pureed. Also delicious cut in half and roasted with large tomato slices and olive oil.
• To sauté: Try dipping slices or chunks in flour or eggs and bread crumbs before sautéing. Saute in hot oil until light brown. Season with herbs, garlic, grated cheese, etc.
• To steam: Whole eggplant will steam over an inch of water in 15-30 minutes. Use the flesh for pulp or season with olive oil, lemon, salt, and pepper, or cover in tomato sauce.
• Blend cooked eggplant with lemon juice and seasonings of choice for a dip or spread.
• Grill slices along with other vegetables, such as peppers, or skewer and grill along with other shish kabob ingredients.
• Dip in a favorite batter and lightly fry in vegetable oil.
• For long-term storage, dishes like baba ghanoush and ratatouille freeze well in airtight containers.
Baba Ghanoush (Roasted eggplant dip)
adapted from The Joy of Cooking
Preheat oven to 400°. Using all or most of your eggplant, pierce skin in several places. Roast on a baking sheet until the skins are dark mahogany in color and the flesh feels soft, 45 to 60 minutes. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Split the eggplants and scoop the flesh into a colander. Press lightly to extract the excess liquid. Remove to a food processor and add: 1-2 tablespoons tahini (sesame butter — you can use more to your preference), 2 or so cloves of chopped garlic, juice of one large lemon, and ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste). Pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
If using immediately, transfer to a shallow serving bowl and garnish with olive oil. (Optional: stir in ½ cup yogurt just before serving.) Serve with warm pita bread. Also freezes well for use all winter.
An easy summer pasta dish
We love making light pasta dishes for lunch or dinner this time of year: the ingredients are so fresh and tasty that it takes hardly any work to create a delicious masterpiece! Here’s an example of a fast and easy pasta dish we made this weekend:
Start by peeling and chopping an eggplant or two. Sauté over medium heat in oil or butter. Meanwhile, chop a summer squash or two and some beans. Add to the pot and continue to sauté on medium-low. Meanwhile, chop a tomato or two or three. When we cook, we often leaves tomato seeds and skin in place — the resulting sauce is less refined than if they’re removed, but tasty nonetheless and much faster to prepare. Add tomatoes to pan and stir. Let veggies simmer together over heat while pasta cooks. Drain pasta and toss with veggies and some butter, olive oil, and possibly a soft cheese. Serve immediately and garnish with grated parmesan cheese. The result? A simple, delicious summer meal.
Zucchini parmesan
A CSA member sent me this recipe recently. As she said, it’s basically a variation on eggplant parmesan. (For a real kick in the pants, try making this with both zucchini and eggplant!)
Slice up some squash about ¼ thick and sauté them until they are partially cooked. Spread them in a 9×13 pan, dab ricotta cheese and pesto all over, toss on beans or chopped cooked meat, cover with tomato sauce. Make two layers. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for about 30-40 minutes or until bubbly. Yum!
More tomato ideas
adapted from From Asapargus to Zucchini
• For a decorative, quick, and delicious side dish, slice tomatoes and arrange on a plate. Drizzle with balasmic vinegar and/or olive oil, and a little sea salt and pepper.
• Try frying or broiling sliced tomatoes topped with thin slices of cheese. Remove from heat when cheese is melted and tomatoes have softened and begin to bubble. It’s a kid favorite.
• Add tomato chunks to summer soups or hearty stews.
