I chose this title because I have been asked that question several times when buying eggplant in the local supermarket. Even cashiers have expressed their perplexity over the eggplant. Odd, since it grows well here and really delicious eggplant is available in season from local farmers.
So I will, for the next few blog posts, be on a mission - to share with you some wonderful eggplant recipes.
Eggplant is yet another gift from the deadly nightshade family,as are peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. It is bland in flavor, and because of this quite versatile. It is an ingredient in many ethnic cuisines, including Japanese, French, Middle Eastern and Italian. It gets on well with its nightshade cousins tomato and peppers, and can be taken in a number of directions, flavor-wise.
We'll start off with a Mexican spin on a classic French recipe that is a celebration of fresh, summer vegetables and which relies heavily on the usual suspects of local cuisine as well as eggplant.
Ratatouile (estilo Mexicano)
1 Lb Eggplant, peeled and cut in cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
1 Lb Calabacitas, chayotes or summer squash, cut in cubes
2 big red onions, peeled and sliced in semilunas
3 chiles poblanos, roasted, peeled and sliced or two bell peppers, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt, pepper and herb of choice, to taste (thyme is good, oregano also)
OK, have a skillet and a pot on the stove.
Put several tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet, and saute the garlic until it sizzles and smells good but is not browned. Add the eggplant and saute, covered, on low heat, until the eggplant is soft and reduced, maybe 10 minutes. Put the eggplant in the pot. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and saute the calabacitas or summer squash for several minutes, then add to the pot. Saute the sliced onions until softened but not browned and add to the pot. Add also the chiles poblanos and the tomatoes, stir, and then simmer for just 5 minutes or so. Serve over rice. You can top it with a fried egg if you like.
This is a classic french recipe adapted to local ingredients. The idea of the recipe is that all of these fresh vegetables have their own sweetness, and that by sauteing them seperately and then combining them and simmering briefly, each vegetable maintains its own identity while the sweetness of each harmonizes with the others in the finished dish.
So I will, for the next few blog posts, be on a mission - to share with you some wonderful eggplant recipes.
Eggplant is yet another gift from the deadly nightshade family,as are peppers, tomatoes and potatoes. It is bland in flavor, and because of this quite versatile. It is an ingredient in many ethnic cuisines, including Japanese, French, Middle Eastern and Italian. It gets on well with its nightshade cousins tomato and peppers, and can be taken in a number of directions, flavor-wise.
We'll start off with a Mexican spin on a classic French recipe that is a celebration of fresh, summer vegetables and which relies heavily on the usual suspects of local cuisine as well as eggplant.
Ratatouile (estilo Mexicano)
1 Lb Eggplant, peeled and cut in cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
1 Lb Calabacitas, chayotes or summer squash, cut in cubes
2 big red onions, peeled and sliced in semilunas
3 chiles poblanos, roasted, peeled and sliced or two bell peppers, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 pound tomatoes, peeled and chopped
Salt, pepper and herb of choice, to taste (thyme is good, oregano also)
OK, have a skillet and a pot on the stove.
Put several tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet, and saute the garlic until it sizzles and smells good but is not browned. Add the eggplant and saute, covered, on low heat, until the eggplant is soft and reduced, maybe 10 minutes. Put the eggplant in the pot. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet and saute the calabacitas or summer squash for several minutes, then add to the pot. Saute the sliced onions until softened but not browned and add to the pot. Add also the chiles poblanos and the tomatoes, stir, and then simmer for just 5 minutes or so. Serve over rice. You can top it with a fried egg if you like.
This is a classic french recipe adapted to local ingredients. The idea of the recipe is that all of these fresh vegetables have their own sweetness, and that by sauteing them seperately and then combining them and simmering briefly, each vegetable maintains its own identity while the sweetness of each harmonizes with the others in the finished dish.
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