We absolutely LOVE eggplant, and would like everyone else to love it, too. We are pleased to have beefed up our eggplant recipe section with a little help from our friend Laure, who has suggested a slew of new recipes and inspired us to add a few more. They include:
- two of our own farm classics at the bottom of the page (a tomato-less ratatouille, which — come to think of it — was originally suggested to us by Laure many years ago and has become our go-to ratatouille recipe for all occasions; and an easy baba ghanouj which is truly delicious)
- a very special recipe from Laure’s mother,
- a few sophisticated eggplant concoctions which Laure has compiled over the years, and
- an Eggplant Recipe Top 10 from The Guardian which we’ve thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
Eggplant Omelette – 30/07/2020
This is a very healthy way to prepare this vegetable without gorging it with fat. Steaming eggplants allow them to be cooked through and they can be then browned in very little oil if needed. Our good friend and farm customer Laure writes:
“The following recipe is dear to my heart. It was invented by my mum, Helga, who has always cooked, with pleasure and flair, the vegetables of her adopted Provence. This omelette is my own madeleine, my comfort dish, my little nostalgia…”
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Four eggplant recipe suggestions – 30/07/2020
- A Turkish take on Split Stuffed Aubergines from Britain’s The Happy Foodie (aka Rick Stein), with lamb and spices that are going to transport you instantly to the ‘’land of the crescent moon’’.
- You HAVE to try this amazingly delicious Aubergine and Lemon Risotto : from the one-and-only Yotam Ottolenghi and his New Vegetarian column in The Guardian, which has been running for more than a decade now — sans pic, but a risotto is a risotto, any picture would do
- This delightful and unusual salad from Bon appétit, Pan-Seared Eggplant with Buttermilk Dressing, can be made with a Chinese, Japanese or more traditional deep purple eggplant.
- Another eggplant recipe from Bon appétit: moussaka is the dish that normally comes to mind when eggplants are the focus. This is a delectable version of the iconic Greek dish.
The Guardian’s ’10 Best Aubergine Recipes’ – 30/07/2020
Because we thoroughly enjoy the Guardian, and its food section, we couldn’t resist throwing in this Aubergine Top 10 list as additional inspiration: Aubergine pasta pie, Cream of aubergine soup with garlic and anchovies, Lemon and aubergine risotto, Sesame fried aubergine and fig, Aubergine stuffed with chilli jame and feta in polenta crust, Chettiar aubergine curry, Roasted aubergine and kale tapenade, Moussaka with tahini, Aubergine rolls with goat’s cheese, dates and bacon, Aubergine tagine.
Baba Ghanouj – 07/09/2011
A basic recipe for this classic eggplant and garlic dip – one of many variations on a theme (see last paragraph for details):
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Some recipes call for adding the olive oil (approx. 2 tablespoons) directly to the mix; others suggest omitting the tahini for a straight eggplant purée, while a friend says she adds chick peas (the key ingredient in hummus) to give it even more consistency. Mint is sometimes used instead of parsley, and cumin-lovers sometimes add a dash of that prototypically Middle-Eastern spice.
Ratatouille – 12/08/2010
Everyone has his/her own version of this emblematic summer dish – but if, like us, you have little time to spare and find the thought of individually pan-frying vegetables in olive oil tedious, we offer you this recipe from our friend Laure. All you have to do is slice your vegetables as you like, the oven will do the rest: cut into pieces two eggplants, five zucchini (green and/or yellow), two onions, three peppers (green, red and/or yellow) and crush five cloves of garlic. Add thyme, pepper and salt, olive oil and two or three splashes of balsamic vinegar; mix. Empty the vegetables into an oven dish and place in an oven heated to 475 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with barbequed sausages cooked on the grill. This recipe handily serves six to eight people; adjust quantities as you see fit. It’s quick and easy – and delicious, to boot!