Eggplant

How many of you like eggplant?
Years ago, when one of my father’s brothers owned a truck farm in Park City, Mont. I was introduced to eggplant and have loved it ever since. My mother used to cook it by slicing it and then breading it and serving it with tomato gravy. (Recipe follows) I have noticed that Van’s has eggplant every once in awhile and I’m sure if you said you would like for them to order some, they would make every effort to do so.

Fried Eggplant

Pare and cut
1 eggplant - 1/2 inch slices
dip into mixture of:
flour
salt
pepper
Then in a mixture of:
1 egg beaten - mixed with
1 T. water
Then in:
white cracker crumbs
Fry slowly in hot fat until both sides are crisp and brown. If slices are large cut in wedges before frying. Serve with Catsup sauce.
Catsup Sauce
Brown
1 t. chopped onion in
2 T. butter; add
2 T. flour
Blend and add:
1 c. milk
and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Add
1/3 c. catsup
salt
pepper to taste
Mix thoroughly and heat through.

Eggplant Sub

2 eggs
1 c. dry bread crumbs
1 med. eggplant - peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 submarine sandwich buns (10 inches), split
Leaf lettuce
1 jar (7-1/4 ounces) roasted red peppers - drained and sliced
8 slices mozzarella cheese
2 med. tomatoes - thickly sliced
1 can (2-1/4 ounces) chopped ripe olives, drained
Italian or vinaigrette salad dressing
In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs. Place the bread crumbs in another bowl. Dip eggplant slices into egg, then coat with crumbs. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until crispy. Cool. On the bottom of each bun, layer lettuce, eggplant, red peppers, cheese, tomatoes, and olives. Sprinkle with salad dressing; replace bun tops.

Szechuan Spicy Eggplant

1 large eggplant - diced
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon chili sauce
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons water
2 cloves garlic - minced
4 large green onions - finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
1/2 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon vegetable (sesame oil - alternative)
Remove the eggplant stem and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a medium bowl, combine the soy sauce, chicken stock, chili sauce, sugar, ground black pepper and oyster sauce. Stir together well and set aside. In a separate small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water, and set aside.
Coat a large, deep pan with cooking spray over high heat and allow a few minutes for it to get very hot. Saute the garlic, half of the green onions, ginger and shrimp for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until they begin to brown. Stir in the ground beef and cook for 3 more minutes, again stirring constantly, until browned.
Pour the eggplant into the pan and stir all together. Pour the reserved soy sauce mixture over all, cover the pan, reduce heat to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the reserved cornstarch mixture and let heat until thickened. Finally, stir in the rest of the green onions and the sesame oil.

Roasted garlic eggplant

2 whole bulbs garlic
1/3 to 1/2 cup EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus additional for drizzling
Salt
black pepper
1 medium eggplant
1 pound whole wheat or whole grain penne pasta
1 small red chili pepper - seeded and finely chopped or a couple of pinches red pepper flakes
1 medium onion - finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine, chicken stock, alternative
1 28-oz. can Italian tomatoes in purée
1 cup basil - loosely packed, torn
1/3 pound wedge ricotta salata, crumbled
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Cut ends off garlic bulbs, exposing the tops of the cloves. Place on a piece of foil then drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper. Wrap garlic up in the foil And roast 45 minutes. Let cool then squish out the garlic cloves from the skins in a bowl and mash with fork. Cover with EVOO, about 1/3 to 1/2 cup.
Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet. Slice eggplant lengthwise into slices 1/2-inch thick. Paint each piece with some of the roasted garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Place eggplant in oven and roast 15-20 minutes until golden and tender. Remove, let cool then cut into bite-sized pieces.
While eggplant roasts, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta to al dente.
Place remaining oil with the roasted garlic in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add red chili peppers or flakes and onion, sauté to tender, 5-6 minutes. Add wine or stock and stir. Add tomatoes and mash with potato masher. Season sauce with salt and pepper. Stir in eggplant and heat through. Add basil and wilt into sauce.
Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and top with crumbled ricotta salata.

Sheet Pan Soup

3 T olive oil
1 large eggplant - peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
3 celery stalks - chopped into 1” pieces
3 carrots - chopped into 1” pieces
3 shallots - quartered
6 cloves garlic
2 Yukon gold potatoes - peeled and chopped into 1” cubes
1 t salt
6 cups vegetable stock
6 sage leaves
Preheat oven to 425. Toss eggplant, celery, carrots, shallots, garlic, potatoes, salt and oil to coat. Roast 1 hr, flipping occasionally, until they begin to brown. Remove and let cool.
Add veggies and stock in batches; puree and strain. Garnish with sage leaf. ✍ Print this post