I didn’t eat eggplant until about five years ago. I thought it was bitter and mushy and was, overall, a poor excuse for a vegetable (or, botanically, a fruit!)
Like many people, I’m sure, my gateway eggplant recipe was Eggplant Parmesan. Pretty much anything is good when fried up and covered in cheese and red sauce. For a couple of years, I made a big pan of eggplant parm once a year around this time - a special annual treat.
When I decided to grow eggplant a few years ago, I realized I was going to have to come up with a lot more than our annual eggplant parm to use it all up. I’m sure you’re asking, “Then why the heck did you decide to grow it?” Well, have you seen an eggplant plant? They’re gorgeous! The purple flowers, the big wavy leaves… plus the little baby eggplants are SO CUTE. I really couldn’t resist.
We have three eggplant plants this year - one globe, one Japanese, and one mystery volunteer that we let get to full-size. All of them have been super productive.
Now I comfortably put eggplant in everything, and you should too! Don’t believe all those eggplant myths out there; you don’t have to pre-salt and sweat it, and you definitely don’t have to peel it.
I’ve assembled a non-parm eggplant recipe round-up for you, and I promise, if you’re an eggplant hater, at least one of these will change your mind!
Eggplant recipe roundup - No eggplant parm!
Love & Lemons Caponata - a new favorite. I made this for weekend brunch on toast with an egg on top, but you could put it over pasta, rice, or polenta. It would make a great sandwich filling too. It’s sweet, tangy, and you can even add some spice if you want. Make it once and turn it into three different meals!
Smitten Kitchen black pepper tofu and eggplant - This is about as close as I’ve gotten to making really good American-Chinese takeout at home. The sauce is glossy and flavorful, and the texture is awesome - no sogginess here.
NYT Eggplant Dal (gift link) - Simple, delicate, and delicious! This is a great way to use a spare eggplant that you don’t know what to do with. Just cook up some rice and you’re ready for dinner (and leftovers too!)
Bon Appetit Bulgogi-style eggplant - This recipe calls for Korean eggplant, but any long thin variety will do. Just don’t use a globe eggplant for this one - the dense inside of the longer eggplants is what makes this dish work.
Kitchen vignettes pickled eggplant - Ok, I haven’t tried this one yet, but I really want to! It is on my list. Aube Giroux has been a personal hero of mine for YEARS. Her videos on her PBS series, Kitchen Vignettes, will simultaneously inspire you and rock you to sleep like a baby. Plus, all of her videos are short (3-10 minutes), so they are very rabbit-hole-able.
Changing a habit: Paint Pens
I learned my cooking habits and patterns in restaurant kitchens where rolls of masking tape and Sharpies lived on every shelf and in every apron pocket. I carried this habit into my home kitchen, which, for the most part, is a good thing. Everything gets labeled, so we rarely find a mystery tupperware in the back of the fridge or bottom of the freezer that we have to bravely sniff to find out what it is.
In an effort to use a little less masking tape for both environmental and aesthetic reasons, I’m testing out these water-based paint pens recommended by Deb from Smitten Kitchen. So far, they have successfully survived the freezer, fridge, microwave, and constant shuffle of the spice cabinet without smudges. I’ve used them on glass, plastic, and aluminum foil with no issues. Plus, I like having different colors to choose from to contrast the color of whatever I’m writing on. Now I just have to work on my habit of reaching for that roll of masking tape…
Apple season warm-up
I kind of lied - this book doesn’t really have anything to do with apples, but it sure is fun. I’m currently about 80% of the way through the audiobook version of Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty and I’m totally hooked. I’m hooked to the point of extending the length of my run and doing extra chores just so I have more time to listen to it. I would consider this a cozy mystery, but let me know what category you would put it in. The audiobook was immediately available to check out from my library, so maybe you can grab it with no wait too!
I’ll be back in two weeks for a full-size House Creature - we’ll be getting spicy in the garden one last time before fall! If you haven’t yet, consider becoming a paid subscriber so you don’t miss out.
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Ok I’m definitely looking into those pens - cuz my labeling system has become nil these last few years