Does eggplant make you cringe?
Eggplant, also called aubergine, is part of the nightshade family that includes tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes and peppers. Nightshade does not mean they are ‘shady characters’ (sorry about the pun, couldn’t help myself), it means they belong to the plant family Solanaceae.
Some people cringe at the thought of cooking eggplant. I think it’s mostly because they don’t know what to do with it. I’ve found that eggplant doesn’t have a strong flavor, is super absorbent and takes on any flavor that it’s cooked with. I do have to admit, before I started working at Family Farm Fresh I always passed over the eggplant in the produce isles. Now I look forward to it coming into season.
The American Eggplant is the most common, dark purple skin with creamy flesh. It’s perfect for Eggplant Parmesan! One time I substituted this variety for the noodles in our lasagna. My youngest, who to-this-day-still proclaims he hates eggplant, went back for thirds. (There are many lasagna recipes on the internet.)
Other varieties include Casper (small, oblong and white as the name implies) and Japanese (also oblong and has a beautiful dark purple color). Both are similar in shape to zucchini squash.
I usually peel then toss cubes of eggplant into a pan of other veggies such as squash, tomatoes, onion, garlic, etc. Pour the mix over some rice or noodles and the kids will never know!
Try this ”tested” recipe sent in by Member Gail Berk of Tulare. She said “It’s for people like me that hate eggplant.”
Hidden Eggplant Quiche (serves 6-8)
Adapted from Eggplant Quiche, Rodale’s Basic Natural Foods Cookbook
- 1 9″ deep dish pie crust
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 medium green pepper, chopped
- 2 large tomatoes, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil, or more as needed
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 small eggplant, peeled and diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup half-and-half
- Preheat oven to 425 F.
- Prick bottom of piecrust with a fork and add a handful of dried beans to weigh down crust. Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Discard beans.
- Turn down oven to 350 F.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic, onions and green peppers and saute until they start to soften. Add eggplant, add more oil if needed. Saute for about 3 minutes, or until eggplant is lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes and cook until heated through. Drain mixture well and set aside to cool.
- Brown beef. Drain cooked meat well in a strainer, pushing it with the back of a spoon to eliminate grease. Set aside to cool. While meat is cooling, beat eggs together with half-and-half.
- When cool, mix meat with vegetables. Place half of the meat-vegetable mixture in cooled piecrust. Over this, layer half of the grated cheese, then remaining meat-vegetable mixture, and finally remaining cheese. Pour egg mixture over all. Place on a baking sheet to catch any drippings and bake for about 45 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.