Denise in Florida Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I was at the local vegetable stand today and bought some gorgeous neon eggplants. They are small and tender looking, yum. What is the easiest, best way to prepare? Preferably without heavy sauces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Slice them lengthwise, very thinly. Put on the grill and baste with some olive oil. You will need a low flame. Roast until tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Lightly salt. Yum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 For those, I would slice thickly, brush both sides with olive oil, sprinke with a bit of salt and grate pepper then grill or roast. Sprinkle with parm. For older, tougher ones, I sometimes take off the skin and cook them however, they melt into anything. Simply disappear. There is always Bittman's easy Ratatouille, if you start to get lots of them. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/18/the-minimalist-easy-ratatouille/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 (edited) Ratatouille, or however you spell it. peel and dice up the eggplant. Salt VERY VERY well, then put in a colander to drain. It will release liquid and be less bitter that way. Then you can rinse it. Meanwhile, saute onions and peppers in a pan with olive oil. Add in garlic whatever other veggies you like and the eggplant. Mine usually is onions, red peppers, garlic, eggplant, zucchini, mushrooms, and then a can of diced tomatoes. I serve it with toasted french bread, sometimes with cheese melted on top. Edited June 28, 2012 by ktgrok Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 Slice them lengthwise, very thinly. Put on the grill and baste with some olive oil. You will need a low flame. Roast until tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Lightly salt. Yum! ohhhh, I also bought a big bag of fresh okra that I was planning grill. I hadn't thought about throwing the eggplant on there too. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Ah! Conflicting cutting advice. lol I said thick, as they can shrivel up sometimes - there is a lot of water in eggplant, and you can be left with mush. If you watch them carefully, any thickness will do. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted June 28, 2012 Author Share Posted June 28, 2012 All of those ideas sound good. Now I wish I had bought more of them. :tongue_smilie: I only selected a few because I wasn't sure what I would do with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 My favorite way to prepare eggplant is baba ganoush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 All of those ideas sound good. Now I wish I had bought more of them. :tongue_smilie: I only selected a few because I wasn't sure what I would do with them. Eggplant tomato sauce on pasta is excellent. I like the texture of that, but you have to be careful to not overcook the the eggplant or it will be total much. I start making the basic sauce first, then add the eggplant towards the end. Or just roasted and tossed on pasta is good. I see in todays posting that it seems that all I ever make are foods with salt, pepper, and olive oil. ;) I guess it's true. lol It's such an amazing combination. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I like to make a "sauce" of olive oil, garlic,rosemary, and balsamic vinegar. whisk and brush on slices of eggplant, grill, brushing more on every so often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Place it in a paper bag on the neighbor's doorstep and run away. I hate eggplant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Place it in a paper bag on the neighbor's doorstep and run away. I hate eggplant. :lol: My dd would agree with you. She actually is allergic and the day her lips swelled up after having some eggplant, she was doing a happy dance! The rest of us love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Slice them lengthwise, very thinly. Put on the grill and baste with some olive oil. You will need a low flame. Roast until tender and slightly crispy on the edges. Lightly salt. Yum!Except add a bunch of crushed garlic to the EVOO. After grilling, use them to top a white pizza with a super thin crust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Except add a bunch of crushed garlic to the EVOO. After grilling, use them to top a white pizza with a super thin crust. That sounds delicious!:drool5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran51 Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Slice eggplant medium thickness; dip in beat eggs (2 usually); coat slices in fine cracker crumbs; fry in olive oil over medium-high heat til golden brown; salt. Goes well with fresh sliced tomatoes from the garden. Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrn Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 :drool5: All this talk about eggplant. Yummy! Anyone ever have white eggplant? It has a thinner skin than the purple. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I can post the recipe later if you want. I'm running out the door right now if the kids can ever get their shoes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I can post the recipe later if you want. I'm running out the door right now if the kids can ever get their shoes on. Yes, please. :toetap05: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 I used to slice them into 1/2 inch slices, dip in a mix of flour, salt, and pepper, and fry in a little butter. MMMmm -- they almost melt in your mouth! However, grilling with a little olive oil sounds even better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snickerdoodle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 OK, I couldn't find the pizza dough recipe, but here is lazy pita bread substitution. Pita bread pesto sauce mozzarella eggplant garlic olive oil Chop some garlic and put in the olive oil. Slice the eggplant thin and baste both sides *liberally* with olive oil and garlic mixture. Put on a broiler pan and then lightly salt. Broil until blackened on one side then flip, lightly salt the other side and broil till blackened on the other side. Meanwhile toast the pitas (cut them in half and stick in the toaster). Layer the broiled eggplant with mozzarella and pesto inside the pita. Drizzle in some more EVOO. Put completed pita inside the hot oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese. Basically if you have a good pizza dough recipe you can use that instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted June 28, 2012 Share Posted June 28, 2012 Thank you, Snickerdoodle.:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted June 30, 2012 Author Share Posted June 30, 2012 wow...thanks for all the responses. I am going to have to try out most of these ideas. I hope the veggie stand keeps getting the great looking eggplant in. I even understand about the paper bag and neighbor's door step. My dds hate eggplant, dh tolerates it, I love it. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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