Late Season Crops

The tomatoes have died back, and the cool weather is arriving day by day. This has brought about a resurgence in a vegetable that I dearly love: the eggplant. This year I started two eggplants in pots. When the yellow squash died back in early summer, I moved them to the garden. They were pretty quiet most of the hot season, but now they are starting to really take off. As a result, I am forced to find new things to do with them. My traditional approach to eggplant is to make eggplant fries. These were always a great change of pace for my husband and I when we lived in Missouri  and a common request from my vegetarian friends for dinner parties.








Eggplant Fries:
1.  Slice 1-2 large eggplants (skin on) into strips (roughly 3/4 X 3/4 X 3 inch)
2.  Dip the strips into a whisked egg dredge (I did say vegetarian, not vegan)
3.  Take the strips directly from the dredge into a mixture of white corn meal, salt, ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper (proportions to taste)
4.  Drop the breaded strips into hot vegetable oil and cook until golden brown
5.  Drain on paper towels and serve
(Note: these do not reheat well so eat 'em while they're hot)

Obviously, you're not going to make eggplant fries to go with everything. So, I've had to expand my eggplant range to include a classic meal: eggplant Parmesan.  My inspiration for this recipe came from a similar recipe on http://smells-like-home.com.

Eggplant Parmesan:

2 large eggplants
4 eggs
4 cups of Panko breadcrumbs
1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1/2 Tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 cup all-purpose flour
vegetable oil
Your favorite spaghetti sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced and pressed lightly to remove excess water

1. Wash and slice 2 large eggplants (skin on) into 1/2 inch medallions
2. Press each slice firmly between clean paper towels to release excess moisture
3. Prepare a three-step dredge with flour and 1/2 tablespoon of salt in the first bowl, whisked eggs in the second, and a mixture of bread crumbs, pepper, oregano, and remaining salt in the last bowl. Put the slices through each of the three bowls, coating well at each step
4. Using a brush or paper towel, lightly coat a baking rack with vegetable oil
5. Place breaded slices on the baking rack over a cookie sheet and bake at 425 F for 30-45 minutes, flipping over half way through
6. Allow the eggplant slices to cool slightly
7. Lightly coat the bottom of a square, glass baking dish with spaghetti sauce
8. Lay eggplant slices out in a single layer on top of the sauce
9. Spoon approximately 1 cup of sauce over the slices
10. Place a single layer of thinly sliced mozzarella over the sauce
11. Repeat the process with  eggplant, sauce, and cheese until the baking dish is full (ending with a layer of cheese on the top)
12. Bake together until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has browned (approximately 15 minutes)

This a great option for vegetarian dinner parties but still not something to make all the time. A much easier, everyday use for eggplant is to grill it as a side dish. The way I learned to do this is to wash and slice the eggplant vertically. Using a sharp knife, make partial thickness cuts to score the flesh. The cuts should be an inch apart, going vertically down the eggplant and then crossing over at 45 degrees.  Brush the cut surfaces with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and dried thyme.  Cook on a hot charcoal grill, cut side down, over indirect heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour (moving to direct heat to finish if necessary). Serve with a vinaigrette dressing and a soft, herb goat cheese.

My last eggplant experiment was a pretty lofty one. I saw the picture on http://foodgawker.com and followed the link to http://dine-dash.com. The finished product was very attractive, but pretty bland. I have some ideas for spicing it up next time. For the basic recipe, you thinly slice an eggplant and three zucchini squash.  Arrange them in a flower shape inside a pie crust with a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and thyme. Bake at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce instead of the recommended tomato sauce. It worked really well, but next time I will use more. I will also slice the vegetable pieces thinner and toss them in the olive oil, salt, and thyme for a better coating before arranging them in the pie crust.  One thing I learned pretty quick about this recipe: don't overbake it. The crust will be very light brown when it's ready. Overcooking makes the eggplant skin tough. Lastly, serve this with fresh Parmesan. I think this recipe has a lot of potential if you can make the flavor match the wow factor of the appearance.

 

 

Photos by Jenn Ballard