BH recipes

Eggplant

We grow several varieties of eggplant of all shapes and sizes. 

Black Beauty is our traditional Italian variety (pictured above). 

Rosa Bianca is a smaller white and purple variety, which tends to be creamier in texture and sweeter in flavor.

Turkish Orange Eggplant. They may be used the same way you would any other eggplant. They are a bit bitterer but really make up for it in their texture and color (which they retain when cooked).

The long skinny purple eggplants are Pickling Eggplants. They taste similar and may be used the same as regular eggplants. I am fond of little eggplants because it is just my husband and I at home and we find it hard to finish a 2# eggplant.

Storage and Preparation:

Eggplant should not be stored in the refrigerator under 50 degrees.  Eggplants will not store for more than 4-5 days so use them sooner than later.  We prefer to store them at about 50-60 degrees.  Wrapping them in plastic in the refrigerator will help to store them longer. 

Many recipes call for salting the eggplant slices before baking or frying.  This will draw moisture out of the eggplant and keep the slices crispy instead of mushy. 

Other Recipe Ideas:

• Eggplant chips Eggplant chips: This is an experiment I tried this week. Simply slice eggplant and dip in an egg wash. Place on a cookie sheet, greased with olive oil, bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Flip and top with hemp seeds and Parmesan cheese bake until the cheese becomes crispy. This is a very less greasy form of eggplant Parmesan. Great for sandwiches or over spaghetti squash.  My husband claims he can eat this every day.
• I have wondered for a long time how to store eggplant for the winter.  This year I finally figured it out.  I made Baba Ghanouj and then put it in glass jars and froze it.  I was nervous that it would come out grainy when defrosted.  To my surprise it was excellent.  A perfect last minute snack or potluck idea.  
• My husband taught me a trick of using wonton wraps, (found in the produce case at the grocery store), to make raviolis. Eggplant after it has been roasted makes amazing ravioli. After you fill the wraps simply place them on a cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper and bake. These are a meal in themselves no sauce needed.