EGGPLANT, YUMMY!

Eggplant rocks, a most glorious fruit! I know some of you out there are not fans…but I blame that on poor execution. Eggplant is so versatile and there are so many varieties, you need to expand your repertoire! Go out there and try some of the funky ones you can easily find at any health food store or farmer’s market. Japanese, Chinese, Filipino and the real Italian varieties are my favorites because they are sweet, tender and easy to cook. As they’re not bitter they do not require any salting and sweating—just cut ‘em up and cook them!

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Great in stir fries, braised, fried, grilled, added in pastas, topped on pizzas…even the ubiquitous eggplant parmesan are all great ways to enjoy the eggplant using the traditional monster sized ones and the tricked out Asian varieties.

I was shocked to read up on the nutritional value of my friend the AUBERGINE. Damn these are good for you! One of the top ten antioxidants out there, loads of vitamins… The SKIN is key in that antioxidant fix so don’t peel it all away in your prep!

On the show I display how to prep your traditional, bulky, raven-colored eggplants. I took about half the skin off for aesthetic reasons. To fight the bitter flavor, I salted and sweated the beasts. I always do this when using these eggplants—I’ve had too many ruined dishes. Simply add a good pinch (1/2 tsp) of salt to each side of your eggplant slices and place them in a colander to leach water. After about a half hour wipe off the salt with a towel.

Now you are ready to cook. Do what you will. Stir fry, bake, fry, broil, roast…On the show I grilled my eggplants. I think they make a great dish by themselves this way—a must have for any platter of roasted/grilled veggies. They’re also a great substitute for steak and are so delicious with some olive oil, salt and lemon juice. Great stuff!

I frequently use my grilled eggplants to stage veggie napoleons. Check the recipe…I’ll walk you all the way through the steps. A really easy and impressive dish to wow your veggie amigos with!

More delicious eggplant ideas in the recipe section and more organic treats to come!

VIVA!

-Gregory