The eggplant, almost always used exclusively as a vegetable in cooking, is actually botanically a afruit.The eggplant is very versatile and is used in many types of cuisines including Asian, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. It is most commonly known by its glossy, deep purple color and spongy flesh, but is also available in abundance of other colors including lavender, jade green, orange, and yellow-white, as well as in sizes and shapes that range from that of a smalll tomato to a large zucchini! A cup of cooked eggplant contains a mere 38 calories and is packed with a variety of nutrients as it is a very good source of dietary fiber, potassium, manganese, copper and thiamin (vitamin B1). The fiber is a great addition to the diet to aid in the digestive process as well as protection aagainst heart disease. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, folate, magnesium and niacin. Eggplant also contains an abundance of phytonutrients such as nasunin and chlorogenic acid that act as antioxidants to block the creation of free radicals to aid in lowering cancer risk. So try baking, boiling, sautéing, stewing, roasting or steaming some eggplant with your next meal!

-Jenn MacDonald, Registered Dietitian

I’m not as creative and varied in the kitchen as I might seem in print. Some weeks it’s a stretch for me to come up with ideas for this piece. Predictably, those weeks feature foods I don’t often use, and you can probably see where I’m going: I don’t cook with eggplant. I’ve got the notion that I don’t like eggplant, and since I have to combine it with other foods to make it taste good anyway, why bother? But hey, since I’m trying to persuade you to buy more market produce, why shouldn’t I take my own advice? And apparently, many of you DO like eggplant, so I’ve been asking market shoppers how they like it best. Most frequent answer: grilled, with a brushing of olive oil and dash of salt & pepper. In an effort to be multi-cultural (after all, it is a staple for most of the world) and even-handed, I tried my own hand at eggplant this week. And so today I write primarily for those like me, who aren’t sure they want to bring home an eggplant, afraid it may sit until pocked and moldy in that fridge drawer. As a result, here are a few tips for purchasing and using eggplant in several easy recipes and meal ideas.

You can find the standard issue, deep purple, oversized-pear-shaped variety at numerous market stands. Randy Shank planted 13 varieties of eggplant this year and they are a revelation: long & skinny, fat & round, egg-shaped, lobed, dark purple, light purple, mottled purple, green, white, occasionally a funny character with appendages. An eggplant for every purpose under heaven. Randy advised me that there are two basic things to know about buying and cooking eggplant: (1) the darker the color, the stronger the flavor and softer the texture (dark ones are great for baba ghanoush and moussaka); and conversely, (2) the lighter the color, the milder the flavor and firmer the texture (better for grilling and other stand-alone uses). The long, skinny eggplants are Japanese varieties used for stir-fries. Try slicing the more rotund eggplants lengthwise for grilling/baking/frying purposes, as the seeds are in the bottom half and will be distributed evenly in each slice this way. Many recipes urge the cook to salt sliced or diced eggplant first, to draw out and drain the bitter juices; this only need be done for very large dark types, or if you want to remove moisture for a recipe such as eggplant Parmesan.

Here’s how we experienced eggplant this week. You’ll see other market-available ingredients highlighted in bold. Don’t be surprised if you see me buying more eggplant on Saturday. I still need to try fried eggplant (dipped in egg and dredged in flour), probably served with a lemon-garlic dressing or yogurt sauce.

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Recipes:

Vegetable Stir-fry

Stir-fry is a safe, easy way to try eggplant. A combination of veggies provide other tastes and textures so you don’t get stuck with just one flavor.

Ingredients:
* olive oil
* onion
* red bell pepper
* summer squash
* eggplant (long & skinny preferred, not peeled or seeded)
* garlic (lots!)
* salt & pepper

Directions:
Heat a generous swirl of olive oil over medium-high heat (don’t let it smoke!), add chopped or sliced onion and pepper, saute & stir a few minutes until onion pieces separate. Add summer squash slices, stir and saute until squash is just beginning to get tender. Add sliced eggplant and lots of minced or thinly sliced garlic at the end, for just a few minutes of cooking, as eggplant softens quickly. Season with salt & pepper. Serve over pasta or rice with cheese for garnish, or as a side dish. Vary amounts and types of vegetables as you prefer.

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Grilled or Broiled Eggplant

Ingredients:
* one round or oblong eggplant (light or dark)
* olive oil
* salt & pepper
* garlic, optional

Directions:
Remove leafy cap and cut eggplant lengthwise into about 1/4 inch slices, keeping skin on. Brush with olive oil, rub with a half clove of garlic if you wish, dust with salt & pepper. Grill until browned on both sides, or broil on a cookie sheet, turning to brown both sides. Keep an eye on those slices, they won’t take long to cook.

I ate my broiled eggplant with a slice of tomato and a dash of parmesan, preferring the combined flavors to straight-up eggplant. Sometime I’d like to try several slices of broiled eggplant layered alternately with thinly sliced onion, tomato, cheese and basil (or pesto). One of my cookbooks suggests serving this stacked eggplant/veggie “burger” in a toasted bun rubbed with olive oil and garlic.

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Baba Ghanoush

My favorite eggplant dish to date, though I haven’t yet tried eggplant parmesan. You can bake the eggplant ahead whenever you’ve got the oven on for something else and chill the flesh until you’re ready to use. Amounts are given in ranges to accommodate size of eggplant and personal preference.

Ingredients:
* one large or two small round eggplants (dark is fine)
* 2-4 Tbsp. lemon juice
* 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1/2 – 1 tsp. salt
* 3-4 Tbsp. tahini (seseme seed paste)
* 2-4 Tbsp. onion, finely minced, optional
* 1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
* 2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced

Directions:
Remove stem and prick eggplant through skin with a fork several times. You can broil it whole on a baking sheet for 20 minutes or so, several inches under broiler coils, turning a few times to char all sides. Or bake it whole or halved (cut side down) at 375-400 F until it is very soft, about 30-45 minutes, depending on size. When it’s cool enough to touch, scoop out the flesh and either chill for later or set aside as you prepare the other ingredients.

In blender or food processor, place lemon juice, garlic, salt, tahini (in this order, so tahini doesn’t get stuck under the blades). Add a spoon of the eggplant and puree until smooth. Add remaining eggplant, blend thoroughly. Taste and adjust flavors as desired. Scrape out of blender, stir in onion (optional), olive oil and parsley, or if you want a more attractive presentation, spread mixture in a wide, shallow bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with minced parsley. Serve with toasted or fresh pita wedges, tortilla chips, slices of bell pepper or cucumber or other fresh veggies for dipping.

-Recipe adapted from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.
Got questions about food? Feel free to email me at shankzehr@yahoo.com