Roast Eggplant

Olive oil, salt, and dry heat work wonders with tender rich eggplant.









Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side dish

1 large eggplant, washed, ends cut off, and sliced into pieces into pieces 1/2 inch thick
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar

Preheat your oven to 400F.

Lay the eggplant slices in a large baking dish in a single layer (or two baking dishes). Sprinkle with salt and allow to rest for 20 minutes while the oven heats.  When the oven is ready, pour off any water that has collected in the pan.  Mix the garlic, oil, and vinegar, pour over the eggplant, and turn the slices to coat. Arrange once again in a single layer in the baking dish.

Slide the baking dish into the middle rack of the hot oven and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Then turn the slices, and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Eggplant Parmigiana

Some would argue that the Parmigiana treatment creates the ultimate eggplant dish.  With rich flavors and textures, this is vegetarian comfort food at its best.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time: about 35 minutes
Serves:  5-6

INGREDIENTS
4-5 cups marinara sauce (here's the recipe, or use your favorite store bought)
3 eggs, whisked
2/3 cup flour1 1/2 cups wheat bran or whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 medium eggplants, cut into slices about 1/3 inch thick (about 12 slices)
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350F.

Heat the sauce in a medium saucepan over low heat.  Whisk the eggs in a large bowl.  Put the flour and the wheat bran (or bread crumbs) in separate shallow dishes.  A pie plate is perfect for this.  Stir the oregano, salt and pepper into the wheat bran.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Coat an eggplant slice in flour, dip it in the egg, and then in the seasoned wheat bran. Place this coated slice in the skillet, and repeat with other slices until the skillet surface is covered.  Cook each slice for about 3 minutes, or until browned and crisp on one side, then turn and cook for another 3 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a large baking dish with a thin layer of the heated sauce.  As the eggplant slices are cooked, place them next to each other on the sauce in the baking dish.

Continue to cook the eggplant slices until they are all in the baking dish.  If necessary, create a second layer of eggplant in the dish.

Sprinkle the basil on top of the eggplant slices, and spread the remaining sauce over the top. Spread the Parmesan, then the Mozzarella, evenly over the top.  Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the sauce begins to gently bubble.

Serve with a dry red wine.  A good Chianti would be perfect.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Vegetable Soup

 











This rich, velvety soup of eggplant, zucchini, & tomato is a meal unto itself. Oven dried tomatoes add concentrated flavor, but fresh tomatoes will also work fine.

Prep time: 60 minutes total: 30 minutes unattended (salting/purging the vegetables), then 20 minutes (not including oven dried tomatoes)
Cook time: 20 minutes
Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
2 large eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
2 large zucchini, scraped and cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
1-2 onions, thickly sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
About 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, and oven dried, or fresh tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup fresh basil and parsley, chopped
4-6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

DIRECTIONS
Layer the eggplant and zucchini in a large baking dish, salting each layer, and set aside for 30 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, rinse and dry the slices. Preheat the grill. In a large bowl, turn the zucchini, eggplant, and onion in the 3 TB olive oil. Grill vegetable slices for 6-8 minutes, turning once, or until they are soft and blackened. Return to the bowl to cool. When they are cool enough to handle (about 5 min) coarsely chop them to facilitate processing.

Place grilled vegetables, along with tomatoes, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and 4 cups chicken stock in a large stock pot. Process with an immersion blender to a smooth consistency, adding more stock if necessary. Bring to a simmer, and serve. Toasted nuts are a tasty topping for this rich creamy soup.

Tips: Thick onion slices are less likely to fall through the grill! A blender or a food processor can also be used in place of an immersion blender, although you'll want to process the soup in batches to avoid explosions.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Pete's Grilled Eggplant Soup

Photo by Tod Dimmick











This great recipe by Peter Lundberg is from From Asparagus to Zucchini: A Guide to Cooking Farm-Fresh Seasonal Produce (Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition). I admit I was a skeptic until I tried it. And then came back for seconds and thirds.

3 large eggplants
1 cup olive oil
2 large onions, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
thin, round lemon slices
sour cream

Slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick planks. Grill or broil them until moderately charred. Meanwhile, place olive oil, onions and garlic in large soup pot; cook on high heat, stirring frequently, until translucent. Dice the charred eggplant, add it to the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add stock, lemon juice, and spices, simmer 30 minutes. Let it cool a little, then puree in small batches (TD Note: Can you say Immersion Blender?!). The color will be a rich brick hue. You may add salt and additional spices to taste. Reheat the soup when you're ready to serve it, garnishing each bowl with a lemon slice topped with a dollop of sour cream. The soup may also be served chilled in the summer. This is the type of soup you may improvise with, adding other vegetables if you have them.

Grilled Vegetable Ratatouille

This recipe takes inspiration from Julia Child's classic recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but with ingredients separately grilled. Ratatouille incorporates two other recipes (oven dried tomatoes and tomato sauce), so the dish takes a bit of planning.  The result is wondrous flavor.  

Ratatouille can easily fly solo as a vegetarian entree, or serve as a memorable side dish.  

Prep time: 60 minutes total: 30 minutes unattended (Not including oven drying time for tomatoes)
Cook time: 90 minutes
Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS
about 2 lbs ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges, and oven dried
2 large eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
2 large zucchini, scraped and cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
3 TB olive oil for the grilled vegetables
2-3 TB olive oil for the onions
1-2 onions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-3 bell peppers, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4" slices
2 cups homemade tomato sauce
1-2 cups fresh basil and parsley, chopped (hard to have too much fresh basil)

DIRECTIONS
Layer the eggplant and zucchini in a large baking dish, salting each layer, and set aside minutes. After 30 minutes, rinse and dry the slices. Preheat the grill. In a large bowl, Turn the zucchini, eggplant, and pepper slices in the 3 TB olive oil. This may need to be done in stages unless you have a brobdignagian bowl.  Grill vegetable slices for 6-8 minutes, turning once, or until they are soft. Remove to cool on a platter, keeping the vegetables separate.  When the grilled vegetables have cooled enough to handle, slice them into pieces about 1x2".  Keep the vegetables separated by kind. (This step is optional, and will make the finished dish easier to serve.)


Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium low heat and saute the onion and garlic for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion is soft and translucent.  Remove from heat heat. (If you like the challenge of multitasking, the saute and grill steps can be done simultaneously.)

Preheat the oven to 300. Spread about 1/3 of the onion, 1/3 of the dried tomatoes, and 1/3 of the peppers on the bottom of a dutch oven/stock pot. Dress with 2/3 cup of the tomato sauce.  Cover with half of the zucchini, half of the eggplant, and half of the basil & parsley. Dress with another 2/3 cup sauce. Spread the remainder of the onions, tomatoes & peppers, the rest of the zucchini, eggplant, and the rest of the basil & parsley.  Top with the remaining sauce.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Top with the remainder of the onions, tomatoes & peppers. Cover and bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until heated through.

Ratatouille can be served hot, warm or cold

Tip 1: Paste tomatoes have less water, and so take less time in the oven.
Tip 2: If the dish seems dry as you assemble it, add a little tomato sauce between the layers.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Eggplant Rollatini (Video!)

Crisp fried eggplant, creamy herbed cheese, and savory tomato sauce form a dream combination. These could be a side dish, or just as easily be the main course. Adapted from a recipe prepared for the Phantom Gourmet.

Prep time: 45 minutes including 30 minutes unattended while the eggplant slices purge
Cook time: 45 minutes
Yield: about 8 rollatini, depending on the size of your eggplant

INGREDIENTS
1 large eggplant
1 teaspoon salt
½ to 1 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
1 egg
¼ cup milk
½ to 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Olive or canola oil for frying
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella, separated
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan, separated
½ cup chopped basil or parsley
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2-3 cups tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS
Rinse and dry eggplant. Slice off the stem end, and cut into slices about ¼-inch thick. Reserve the outermost slices for another use (they will not be big enough to roll around the filling. Arrange slices in a flat layer on the bottom of a large baking dish. When one layer is finished, sprinkle that layer with salt, and repeat with the next layer until you all useable slices are salted. Put this baking dish aside for half an hour while you mow part of the lawn. After half an hour, carefully tip the eggplant dish and pour off the water

Preheat the oven to 350F, and set out a large loaf pan or baking dish. Set a skillet on the stove, and pour in enough canola oil to cover the bottom, and turn heat on to medium. Pour the flour onto a large plate or shallow dish. Whisk the egg and milk in a large bowl. Pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate or shallow dish. Arrange near the skillet. Take a slice of eggplant, turn it in the flour, then in the egg, and then in the bread crumbs. Carefully place this slice in the hot skillet, and repeat with other slices to fill the skillet. Cook each slice for 4-5 minutes per side or until bread crumbs are nicely browned and crisp. Remove to paper towels and repeat with the rest of the eggplant slices.

In a bowl, mix the ricotta, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the chopped basil or parsley, and the salt. On a working surface, set out a slice of cooked eggplant. Place about 3-4 TB of the cheese-herb mixture on one end of the slice, and roll the slice from that end to encircle the filling. Place this slice, seam end down, in a baking dish or large loaf pan. Repeat with the other eggplant slices to fill the tray. Spoon pasta sauce around the edges of the rollatini, sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan, cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, or until cheese on top is melted and dish is bubbly.

Chianti, or another Sangiovese-based wine, will go well with this tomato-intensive dish.

Tip: Use eggplants that are at least 8” long and about 3” in diameter. Short, wide eggplants are more difficult to roll.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Eggplant with Fresh Basil

Eggplant might be considered a vegetable, but its texture and mouthfeel is more substantial, more rich, than your average green bean. No wonder it's often treated as a main course.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 8 minutes
Serves: 4 as a side dish

1 large eggplant, washed, ends cut off, and sliced into pieces into pieces 1/2 inch thick
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Lay the eggplant slices in a baking pan. Mix the garlic, oil, and vinegar, pour over, and turn the slices to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Ideally marinate for an hour or more.

Preheat the grill. Grill the slices for 4 minutes per side or until eggplant is tender.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Grilled Everything

Grill vegetables along with any grilled main course. This recipe suggests broccoli, eggplant, squash, and peppers, but don't stop there. One surface for everything, minimum cleaning. Guys like that. Er, everyone likes that.

(This particular method appeared in my Cooking For Guys, reprinted with permission.)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 head broccoli, broken into florets about 1 1/2 inches wide
2 large bell peppers, seeds and stems removed, quartered lengthwise
2 small (10-inch) fresh zucchini, washed, ends cut off, and quartered lengthwise
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into lengthwise strips about 3/4 inch wide
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Hot pepper sauce (optional)

Start the grill. In a small cup, mix the olive oil, garlic and Italian seasoning. Place the veggies in a large bowl. Pour the oil mixture over the vegetables and turn to thoroughly coat. Lay the vegetables on the grill in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until softened. Distribute to serving plates, and season to taste with salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese and hot sauce (if using).

Serve on the porch on a late summer evening, and keep those warm days in mind.

Eggplant Burger!

Grilled eggplant is delicious all by itself. But the logical next step for curious minds is to think outside of the bun. Er, inside of the bun...

Lebanese Style Stuffed Eggplant

via Smitten Kitchen
6 (5- to 6-inch long) medium eggplants (about 6 ounces each)
1/2 cup long-grain or jasmine rice
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 1/2-oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
3/4 lb ground lamb or beef chuck (not lean)
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Hollow out each eggplant with a melon-ball cutter, working from bottom end and leaving about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls. Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear. Drain well.
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sauté onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts. Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.
Add rice, meat, allspice, one teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands.
Stuff eggplant with meat mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking). Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes to one hour (cut one in half to test). [Check in on your dish periodically; I managed to burn my sauce because I wasn't paying attention, although it was still surprisingly tasty.]
If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning if necessary. Return stuffed eggplant to sauce. Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Roasted Eggplant and Garlic Dip

From: epicurious.com


Ingredients

2 small heads garlic
1 eggplant (1 pound)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar, or to taste
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Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Separate garlic cloves without peeling and tightly wrap together in foil. Prick eggplant with a fork. In a shallow baking pan roast garlic and eggplant in middle of oven until very tender, about 30 minutes for garlic and about 45 minutes for eggplant.

Unwrap garlic and peel, transferring garlic to a food processor. Scrape flesh from eggplant into food processor, discarding skin. Purée mixture until smooth and, with motor running, add oil and vinegar until combined. Season dip with salt and pepper and serve with pita toasts.

Peppers

The peppers we grown are in the genus Capsicum, from the nightshade family Solanaceae. Native to many parts of Latin America, peppers are plants that love warm climates and are killed by the first frost. Immature, or unripe, peppers are usually green (although some of ours are purple and pale yellow). These peppers will mature to sweeter red, orange or yellow colors. In general, store peppers in the fridge. If your green pepper has a "break" of color on it, leave it on the counter, it will ripen. If you have too many peppers, they are really easy to store - just cut them up and freeze them. We grow a few varieties of peppers here at Powisset including bell peppers (green, purple, pale yellow, and mature red, orange); sweet Italian frying peppers (also called 'corno di toro' or bullhorn) which are longer and bright red; mild stuffing chiles (we grow light green Anaheim and dark green Poblano varieties). You can find more hot pepper varieties (jalapeno, habanero, etc) out in the pick your own field.

Mushroom and Spinach Stuffed Peppers
From: Farmer John’s Cookbook

4 quarts water
4 bell peppers, any color-tops sliced off and seeds removed
1 tablespoon salt
¼ cup butter
1 large onion, minced
1 ½ cups uncooked long-grain white rice
½ pound mushrooms, chopped
1 cup finely diced celery
¼ cup finely diced carrot
¼ cup fresh or frozen corn
1 large handful spinach, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
Dash cayenne pepper
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded, diced
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
Black pepper


1. preheat oven to 350°F

2. bring four quarts of water to boil in a large soup pot; add the peppers and 1 tablespoon salt. Cook the peppers until they are almost soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, remove the peppers from the water and set in a colander to drain (reserve the water in the pot). Transfer the peppers to a rack, cut-sides up, and let cool.

3. heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add half of the onions, sauté until translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the rice begins to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Add 3 cups of the peppers’ cooking water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the liquid is completely absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.

4. melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped pepper tops, the remaining onions, mushrooms, celery, corn, spinach, ginger, garlic, and cayenne; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

5. combine the rice and sautéed vegetables in a large bowl. Stir in the tomato and half the parmesan cheese. Season with pepper to taste.

6. fill each pepper case with the filling and arrange them in a 9-inch-square baking dish. Garnish with the remaining cheese; add more cheese if desired. Spread any extra filling around the peppers. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Fresh Jalapenos Relish
From Mexican Regional Cooking by Diane Kennedy
1/2 pound chiles jalapeno (about 13 -- I used several kinds of moderately hot chiles)
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 teaspoon oregano
3/4 cup mild vinegar
1/4 cup salad oil
Wash and dry chiles well. Cut off the stalk and slice in half. Remove as many of the veins and seeds as possible and slice thin. (I do this with rubber gloves.) Mix with the rest of the ingredients and set aside to marinate for at least two hours. They are best the next day, but can keep for up to a week. The marinade tempers the chilis -- they really aren't that hot, just crunchy and fresh -- so it is an excellent addition to sandwiches, roast meats, on top of meats, or beans. Yum!

Roasted Eggplants and Peppers in Oil
Ingredients:1 lbs. eggplants (5 or 6 small)
2 large green bell peppers
2 large pimiento peppers
2 tbs. olive oil
2 tbs. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
Salt and pepper to taste
Roast the eggplants and peppers in a very hot oven or under the broiler, turning them often, until their skins are blistered and turning brown all over. Remove and allow to cool.When you can easily handle the vegetables, strip off the skins. Seed the peppers and cut away the white ribs.Cut both peppers and eggplants into stips about 1 inch long and ½ inch wide.Toss the vegetables with the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Allow to marinate for a few hours before serving. Serve cool or at room temperature.Serves 4-6