what to do with eggplant

Seth

I have a beautiful small eggpland just dying to go on the egg, and i would like some suggestions. Considering about 1/4" thick slices with a little olive oil then grill direct, but what else would you guys do to it, or would you do it alltogether different?
Can't wait for the responses.
Seth

JerseyD

seth,
I'm with you on the 1/4 inch slices, brushed with olive oil, grilled direct. To that, you might sprinkle any combination of oregano, basil, garlic and/or balsamic vinegar.[p]Make sure you "sweat" the eggplant slices first. That is, slice it, sprinkle with salt, and lay out on a few paper towels, place more paper towels on top of the slices, and lay a cutting board or cookie sheet over the top to weight it. Let it sit for an hour to allow the "bitter juices" as Grandma used to say, to sweat into the paper towels. Then use fresh paper towels to wipe off the slices and you are ready to go!

char buddy

seth,[p]next time when you get more eggplants try this.[p]Grilled Eggplant Wraps with Lemon Aioli, Feta, and Mint
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes[p]


2 medium eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 medium red onions, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
4 (10-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup chilled crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves [p][p]prep the grill to a medium heat (300-400º)
Brush the eggplant slices with the 1/2 cup oil and season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill or broil on a rack set 5 to 6 inches from the heat, turning once, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool. Brush the onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Wrap the tortillas in foil and heat for 5 minutes. [p]Whisk the mayonnaise with the garlic and lemon juice in a small bowl to make the aioli. Spread 2 tablespoons of the aioli over each tortilla. Cover the bottom 1/3 of each tortilla with 1/4 of the eggplant and 1/4 of the onions. Sprinkle on a 12/4 of the cheese and top with mint leaves. To make the wrap, fold in the two sides of the tortilla. Roll away from you, tucking in the edges to form a tight cylinder. Wrap the cylinder in foil and cut in 1/2 diagonally right through the foil. The foil becomes the holder to be peeled away as the wrap is consumed. Serve the wrap hot or at room temperature.

char buddy

seth,[p]I forgot to mention that this recipe came from Sara Moulton at Foodtv.

char buddy

seth,[p]I forgot to mention that this recipe came from Sara Moulton at Foodtv.

Unknown

Jersey D,[p]Yes, that's the way I do grilled eggplant, too. I season with garlic powder and black pepper, then top with parm cheese at the end.[p]Another idea is baba ganoush, though tahini is not something everyone has in his/her larder. If you love eggplant, this dip is a MUST! Cook indirect on the pit.[p]Lee[p]Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.02

Title: Baba Ganoush
Categories: Appetizers, Dips, Vegetarian, Vegan
Yield: 1 batch

1 1/2 lb Eggplant
3 tb Lemon juice
1 ts Salt
2 ts Minced fresh garlic
3 tb Sesame tahini
1/4 c Chopped parsley
1/2 c Toasted pine nuts (optional)
2 tb Olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prick eggplant all over with a fork.
Bake whole until tender (about 30 minutes). Remove from oven, halve and scoop out the flesh. Blend in a food processor with the lemon juice until smooth. [p]Mash the salt and garlic together and combine with the eggplant, along with the tahini. Cool and stir in the
parsley and pine nuts. Before serving, drizzle with the olive oil.

Serve as a dip with tortilla chips or triangles of flat (pita) bread.

(Adapted from The Victory Garden Cookbook)
From: The Cook's Garden catalog, Spring/Summer 1993 (page 20)

Unknown

QSis,[p]What is Tahini? I am on the Atkins diet and would love to find a good eggplant recipe.

Unknown

Help with Tahini,[p]Tahini is made by grinding sesame seeds into a paste. The consistency is similar to all-natural peanut butter, where the oil floats on top of the solids and you have to stir it to re-combine. It's used in Middle East cooking.[p]I can find it in the international section of my supermarket, but you might also try specialty and/or health food stores.[p]2 tablespoons tahini have 5 carbs. You can use pork rinds and fresh vegetables as dippers (red pepper chunks!)[p]Lee