eggplant question

[whomper]

My eggplant in my garden is ripe for the plucking now. I didnt realize when I bought the plants that I bought the long skinny variety rather than the thick fatter kind. If I cut this into slices I dont think I will enjoy it that much because the slices wouldnt be that large in circumfrence . Is there any way to prepare a long eggplant leaving it intact ? Maybe cutting the middle open and putting some stuff in it ? If you have any ideas I am all ears.

[Jimmy Neutron]

My eggplant in my garden is ripe for the plucking now. I didnt realize when I bought the plants that I bought the long skinny variety rather than the thick fatter kind. If I cut this into slices I dont think I will enjoy it that much because the slices wouldnt be that large in circumfrence . Is there any way to prepare a long eggplant leaving it intact ? Maybe cutting the middle open and putting some stuff in it ? If you have any ideas I am all ears.

 

Did you get that line from your wife?

 

:chuckle:

 

There are many good stuffed eggplant recipes, but they may prove to be difficult with your girth challenged fruit.

[Bier Meister]

long slices....grilled. use in sammiches. or can do variations of it broiled.

 

can dice them and throw them in caponata, stirfries

[Bier Meister]

caponata:

 

1/4 c olive oil

3 1/2 c unpeeled eggplant (1/4" dice)

3/4 c onion (finely chopped)

1/3 c celery (finely chopped)

1/3 c chopped pitted green olives

3 tbs capers (drained and chopped)

1/4 c red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tbs sugar (or to taste0

3 tbs golden raisins

3 tbs pine nuts (toasted lightly)

3 plum tomatoes (cut into 1/4 inch dice- about 1 cup)

1/4 c parsley (finely chopped)

 

 

in a heavy skillet heat 2 tbs of the oil over med- high heat until it hot but not smoking. cook the eggplant, stirring, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it is tender. transfer it to a bowl. to the skillet add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and cook the onion and the celery over med- heat, stirring, for 5 minutes. add the olives, the capers, the vinegar, the sugar, the raisins, the pine nuts, and the tomatoes and cook the mixture, covered, stirring occasionally for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it is cooked through and the celery is tender. transfer it to the bowl. stir in the parsley, let the caponata cool, and chill it, covered, overnight. season the caponata with salt and pepper.

[Chief Dick]

may prove to be difficult with your girth challenged fruit. [/color]

 

If I had a dollar for every time I heard THAT.......

[Kid Cid]

My eggplant in my garden is ripe for the plucking now. I didnt realize when I bought the plants that I bought the long skinny variety rather than the thick fatter kind. If I cut this into slices I dont think I will enjoy it that much because the slices wouldnt be that large in circumfrence . Is there any way to prepare a long eggplant leaving it intact ? Maybe cutting the middle open and putting some stuff in it ? If you have any ideas I am all ears.

Make noodles out of them. I'll explain in detail later.

[whomper]

Im gonna try Biers suggestion with some of the ones we pick down the road for sure. As far as the one from yesterday. We sliced it long and fried them last night. They were so sweet . Absolutely delicious. It was so good that I went out with a flashlight to pull another one at 11:30 pm . Great stuff.

[detlef]

Sliced lengthwise and grilled is always a good way to go, as Bier says. Another option is to slice them length-wise but not all the way, leaving both (or all three) slices still attached at the stem end. Then roast them in the oven, fan them out, and drizzle them with reduced balsamic.

 

They're also great in stir-fries cut on the bias into medallions. Also, I like to make my ratatoullie with large chunks and medallions made of narrow eggplant hold their shape better than cubes off globes.

 

On the top of eggplant, here's a tip when buying globe eggplants. Each plant produces both male and female fruit and the female fruit has more seeds in it (which is less desirable). If you look at the bottom of the fruit, where the blossom was attached, there's a little blemish. On male fruit, that blemish is round, and on female fruit, that blemish is either a slit or at least more oblong. Go for the ones with the round blemish.

[HowboutthemCowboys]

On the top of eggplant, here's a tip when buying globe eggplants. Each plant produces both male and female fruit and the female fruit has more seeds in it (which is less desirable). If you look at the bottom of the fruit, where the blossom was attached, there's a little blemish. On male fruit, that blemish is round, and on female fruit, that blemish is either a slit or at least more oblong. Go for the ones with the round blemish.

great tip thx

[whomper]

Thanks all. The 2 that I picked were seedless when I opened them.

 

Det, Do you have a ratatoullie recipe ?

[detlef]

Thanks all. The 2 that I picked were seedless when I opened them.

 

Det, Do you have a ratatoullie recipe ?

Not a recipe per se, more of a procedure, because it's just an assembly of ingredients. Basically, you cut eggplant, zukes, peppers into pieces about the same size and then slice some onions. One veggie at a time, saute/brown them in batches small enough that you don't crowd the pan. You don't need to cook the veggies through because they'll continue to cook with the residual heat from the other batches as you add each to a large bowl. Once you're done with the peppers, zukes, and peppers, saute the onions with some garlic. Add some large chunks of peeled and seeded tomato, cook down for a bit and add to the veggies, tossing everything together. A little honey and vinegar can be added.

 

Needless to say, season each batch of veggies as you saute them.

 

Again, I like my ratatoullie to be sort of rustic and fresh in nature. So I don't like to cut things too small or cook things too long. I hate what tomato paste does to it.