Eggplant

At the farmer’s market last Saturday I noticed everyone had some eggplant. Now, my husband has not had any luck with growing eggplant and I don’t exactly know what the problem could be. Eggplant is really an oversized berry. Like potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco, it is in the nightshade family. It has grown in the South since the eighteenth century, but most colonists used eggplant only as a garden ornament. Many believed that nightshades caused madness so therefore they would not use them. Some of the earliest specimens were small, oval, and white, just like a hen’s egg, so the name was fitting and came to be used for all varieties. Thomas Jefferson grew eggplant in his garden but it did not catch on in America until much later.

Italian American cooks popularized the purple globe eggplant, nearly overshadowing all other types. Southern gardens produce Asian and Persian eggplants in addition to the Mediterranean varieties. These eggplants come in various shapes and colors, some as small as a pea, to a whopper, and can be both round and long. Their solid, striped, and variegated skins can be white, green, red, orange, pink, purple or lavender. People who extol eggplant claim there’s a thousand ways to cook them. It is true that eggplant is amenable to many cooking techniques, but it is agreed that is should not be eaten raw.

Italian immigrants spread their love for eggplant throughout the South with the dish of eggplant caponata. Sicilian immigrants had significant culinary influence in New Orleans and this dish is an example of their talents of mixing flavors, aromas, colors, and textures into this amazing dish. Although there are many variations, caponata always contains eggplant, tomatoes, and onions cooked in olive oil and seasoned with vinegar. This version features the sweetness of the peppers and the salty tang of olives and capers. Caponata has many uses: relish, salad, side dish, pasta sauce, and bruschetta topping. It can be served warm or room temperature, which is great during the summer. It is best made one day ahead.

Taken from, The New Southern Garden Cookbook by Sheri Castle.

Eggplant Caponata

Makes 6-8 servings

Extra-virgin olive or vegetable oil for frying

1 pound eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 sweet red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large yellow onions, diced

3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

1 cup pitted green olives

½ cup raisins

3 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Cover the rack with a few layers of paper towels and place near the stove to use for draining the cooked vegetables.

Pour the oil into a large skillet to a depth of ½ inch and heat over medium-high heat until simmering hot.

Pat the eggplant cubes as dry as possible. Working in batches, add a single layer of the eggplant to the skillet and cook until tender and browned on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain. Replenish the oil as needed.

Add the peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels and drain.

Stir together the tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers, brown sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the eggplant, peppers, and onions. Season with the salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture gets dry before the vegetables are done.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cook to room temperature. For best flavor, cool, cover, and refrigerator overnight. Check the seasoning and add more salt, sugar, or vinegar if needed to balance the flavors. Return to room temperature or gently warm before serving.

Eggplants are great stuffed and wonderful used is casseroles such as mousaka (a traditional Greek dish) or in eggplant parmesan. You can slice them, dredge them in cornmeal or flour and just fry them.  Go to the farmer’s market and give this versatile vegetable a try!

 

At the farmer’s market last Saturday I noticed everyone had some eggplant. Now, my husband has not had any luck with growing eggplant and I don’t exactly know what the problem could be. Eggplant is really an oversized berry. Like potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco, it is in the nightshade family. It has grown in the South since the eighteenth century, but most colonists used eggplant only as a garden ornament. Many believed that nightshades caused madness so therefore they would not use them. Some of the earliest specimens were small, oval, and white, just like a hen’s egg, so the name was fitting and came to be used for all varieties. Thomas Jefferson grew eggplant in his garden but it did not catch on in America until much later.

Italian American cooks popularized the purple globe eggplant, nearly overshadowing all other types. Southern gardens produce Asian and Persian eggplants in addition to the Mediterranean varieties. These eggplants come in various shapes and colors, some as small as a pea, to a whopper, and can be both round and long. Their solid, striped, and variegated skins can be white, green, red, orange, pink, purple or lavender. People who extol eggplant claim there’s a thousand ways to cook them. It is true that eggplant is amenable to many cooking techniques, but it is agreed that is should not be eaten raw.

Italian immigrants spread their love for eggplant throughout the South with the dish of eggplant caponata. Sicilian immigrants had significant culinary influence in New Orleans and this dish is an example of their talents of mixing flavors, aromas, colors, and textures into this amazing dish. Although there are many variations, caponata always contains eggplant, tomatoes, and onions cooked in olive oil and seasoned with vinegar. This version features the sweetness of the peppers and the salty tang of olives and capers. Caponata has many uses: relish, salad, side dish, pasta sauce, and bruschetta topping. It can be served warm or room temperature, which is great during the summer. It is best made one day ahead.

Taken from, The New Southern Garden Cookbook by Sheri Castle.

Eggplant Caponata

Makes 6-8 servings

Extra-virgin olive or vegetable oil for frying

1 pound eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 sweet red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large yellow onions, diced

3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

1 cup pitted green olives

½ cup raisins

3 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Cover the rack with a few layers of paper towels and place near the stove to use for draining the cooked vegetables.

Pour the oil into a large skillet to a depth of ½ inch and heat over medium-high heat until simmering hot.

Pat the eggplant cubes as dry as possible. Working in batches, add a single layer of the eggplant to the skillet and cook until tender and browned on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain. Replenish the oil as needed.

Add the peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels and drain.

Stir together the tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers, brown sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the eggplant, peppers, and onions. Season with the salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture gets dry before the vegetables are done.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cook to room temperature. For best flavor, cool, cover, and refrigerator overnight. Check the seasoning and add more salt, sugar, or vinegar if needed to balance the flavors. Return to room temperature or gently warm before serving.

Eggplants are great stuffed and wonderful used is casseroles such as mousaka (a traditional Greek dish) or in eggplant parmesan. You can slice them, dredge them in cornmeal or flour and just fry them.  Go to the farmer’s market and give this versatile vegetable a try!

 

At the farmer’s market last Saturday I noticed everyone had some eggplant. Now, my husband has not had any luck with growing eggplant and I don’t exactly know what the problem could be. Eggplant is really an oversized berry. Like potatoes, tomatoes, and tobacco, it is in the nightshade family. It has grown in the South since the eighteenth century, but most colonists used eggplant only as a garden ornament. Many believed that nightshades caused madness so therefore they would not use them. Some of the earliest specimens were small, oval, and white, just like a hen’s egg, so the name was fitting and came to be used for all varieties. Thomas Jefferson grew eggplant in his garden but it did not catch on in America until much later.

Italian American cooks popularized the purple globe eggplant, nearly overshadowing all other types. Southern gardens produce Asian and Persian eggplants in addition to the Mediterranean varieties. These eggplants come in various shapes and colors, some as small as a pea, to a whopper, and can be both round and long. Their solid, striped, and variegated skins can be white, green, red, orange, pink, purple or lavender. People who extol eggplant claim there’s a thousand ways to cook them. It is true that eggplant is amenable to many cooking techniques, but it is agreed that is should not be eaten raw.

Italian immigrants spread their love for eggplant throughout the South with the dish of eggplant caponata. Sicilian immigrants had significant culinary influence in New Orleans and this dish is an example of their talents of mixing flavors, aromas, colors, and textures into this amazing dish. Although there are many variations, caponata always contains eggplant, tomatoes, and onions cooked in olive oil and seasoned with vinegar. This version features the sweetness of the peppers and the salty tang of olives and capers. Caponata has many uses: relish, salad, side dish, pasta sauce, and bruschetta topping. It can be served warm or room temperature, which is great during the summer. It is best made one day ahead.

Taken from, The New Southern Garden Cookbook by Sheri Castle.

Eggplant Caponata

Makes 6-8 servings

Extra-virgin olive or vegetable oil for frying

1 pound eggplant, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 sweet red peppers, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 large yellow onions, diced

3 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, and diced

1 cup pitted green olives

½ cup raisins

3 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Cover the rack with a few layers of paper towels and place near the stove to use for draining the cooked vegetables.

Pour the oil into a large skillet to a depth of ½ inch and heat over medium-high heat until simmering hot.

Pat the eggplant cubes as dry as possible. Working in batches, add a single layer of the eggplant to the skillet and cook until tender and browned on all sides, 7 to 9 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain. Replenish the oil as needed.

Add the peppers to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels to drain.

Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the paper towels and drain.

Stir together the tomatoes, olives, raisins, capers, brown sugar and vinegar in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the eggplant, peppers, and onions. Season with the salt. Cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add a little water if the mixture gets dry before the vegetables are done.

Remove the pan from the heat and let the vegetables cook to room temperature. For best flavor, cool, cover, and refrigerator overnight. Check the seasoning and add more salt, sugar, or vinegar if needed to balance the flavors. Return to room temperature or gently warm before serving.

Eggplants are great stuffed and wonderful used is casseroles such as mousaka (a traditional Greek dish) or in eggplant parmesan. You can slice them, dredge them in cornmeal or flour and just fry them.  Go to the farmer’s market and give this versatile vegetable a try!