Look at the great color of these eggplants! Eggplant is one of the more beautiful plants to grow in a vegetable garden. The 3 foot tall plants have large leaves that are tinged with purple along the veins. The traditional oblong fruits have a smooth skin and a deep purple color whereas the thinner Asian style variety is almost neon. Both eggplant varieties are interchangeable in recipes. It takes a while for the eggplants to get going in the spring as they prefer consistently warm temeratures, but once established, eggplant will produce fruit right up until frost. There are many ways to prepare eggplant. It can be breaded and baked (or fried) for use in a simple parmesan. It is easy to coat with a little olive oil and throw on the grill. It is a key ingredient in caponata.
In fact, I'm going to try this recipe for caponata from From Asparagus to Zucchini, a Guide to Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce by Christine Mulvey of MADSAC
Eggplant Caponata
Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs eggplant, cubed
2/3 cup olive oil, divided
salt and pepper
3 cups diced red onions
1 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 cup green olives
3 tbsp capers
1 cup thinly sliced celery
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Directions:
Heat oven to 500 degrees. Toss eggplant cubes with 1/3 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread on baking tray and roast until brown, about 15- 20 mins, stirring occasionally. Heat remaining oil in skillet and saute onions 10 mins. Add tomatoes, olives, and capers. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook about 15 mins. Add eggplant and celery to the pan and continue cooking, covered for about 8 mins. Remove cover, turn up the heat to high and stir in vinegar and sugar. Cook until vinegar evaporates and all the flavors blend, about 3 more minues. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold with bread, pasta, etc. Makes 8 servings.
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