My eggplant has done really well this year but unfortunately my household doesn’t share my passion for it as a foodstuff.
This has meant that I have given away a lot of eggplant, as well as eating quite a few myself. I find one of the easiest way to do this is to roast them up with a load of other vegetables and then use the roast veg as a basis for lunch. This week I made two different roast vegetables salads one with couscous and one with bulgar. For both I used a tahini dressing.
Both were delicious but I reckon the nuttiness of the bulgar was the nicer of the two. Although I ate some fried pardons with the couscous one and this time (unlike my previous painfully hot experiences) they were really mild and delicious. Yay. Michelle’s (from From Seed to Table) “pick them thumb sized” tip proved invaluable.
This post forms part of the Thursday Garden Gobbles series hosted by Veggiegobbler. Head over and check out what others have made from their garden this week.
Can you hide aubergines/eggplants in recipes so they don’t know that they are eating them?
Yeah I thought of that and it kind of works with my eggplant curry where the eggplant is mashed up enough to be fairly unrecognisable.
I love eggplant. I planted mine too late again and have only managed a couple so far. I love eggplant in a veg curry- but kids might not be into curry.
Actually curry is one of the few dishes the whole family will eat and I have often added eggplant to mine but not theirs which does work quite well.
Did you try that preserved eggplant recipe (the one with thyme and oil)?
As I complained previously, my eggplants seem to be a bust, though ONE seems to have formed. Yay. Maybe. One small eggplant won’t go far!
I keep getting it out to try but I have a container crisis at the moment. I’m hoping to free up some jars soon.
I’ve completely failed at growing eggplant successfully – but at least (most of) the rest of the family will eat them, so I guess I’m lucky there. Have you tried making pasta alla norma? – pasta in a rich tomato sauce topped with fried eggplant strips (optional for those that don’t like it!) and crumbled ricotta salata… it’s very good
I make it for myself quite often and add a bit of tuna to theirs in place of the eggplant….you’re absolutely right about it being really good too.
Delicious! Padrons are notorious for mostly being mild and then, out of the blue a really hot one. I wish I had eggplant this year… yours look beautiful.
Next year….. I had heard of the one in 10 theory on Padrons but so far mine have been either all really hot or all really mild.
Same in my family also. I love eggplants, but others don’t. Too bad and sad. What’s pardons?
Padrons are peppers that are generally picked small and fried and then dressed with a little olive oil and salt.
Well, it’s only a household of 2 here, but we both love eggplant so it’s no problem using up what the garden will produce! My honey loves it just simply grilled or pan fried – he would be happy to just eat it as it comes hot off the press with no adornment. He’ll eat it any way I can think of to serve it. Let’s hope your household will come to appreciate it some day. 🙂
Do you cut them into chunks before you roast them? It sounds like a great way to cook up a big amount for later use. I’m going to have to experiment with that come eggplant season ( which is so far off…).
I’m happy to hear that the Padrons are more agreeable now. It’s amazing how those can go from mild to spicy with just a few extra days on the plant.
I tend to cut it into slices and then quarter those slices so it is pretty small and roasts fairly quickly. The pardons are great – I had a plateful for lunch again today – all mild not a fiery one in sight.
Mixed roast veggies in salad …….Yum ! why haven’t I thought of that one for lunch?
I did roast up some capsicum,tomatoes and eggplant recently then went outside to hang out washing got side tracked weeding the plot and when I finally came back inside the veggies were more than well done!! Oops !
So easily done, that happens to me and I arrive back to a screaming smoke alarm.
This looks delicious. Something that works for me.
Hi Liz,
Those salads look great. Your eggplant Masala went down a treat the other day as well.
Its back on the menu for next week I suspect.
Really glad you enjoyed it – I find that recipe really addictive…