With eggplant from Redland Organic’s summer sales, William and I went on a two-day eggplant binge, starting with Moroccan Chicken with Eggplant, Tomatoes and Almonds from epicurious.com. We’re not big chicken fans, but the dish’s spice-heavy liquid (tomatoes + paprika, turmeric, coriander, fennel seeds, pepper, cumin and ginger) simmered once-bland chicken thighs in a seductive Middle Eastern bath. In my beautiful but underused tagine, I made a half batch of the recipe with double the eggplant and crunchy, toasted almonds. We had more than enough for four heaping portions.

This meal is low-fat (by my standards, at least) and light. We paired it with simple piles of couscous for dinner and big hunks of bread for sopping the next day at lunch.

On day two, I made a massive pot of Eggplant Pasta with Gorgonzola based on a recipe from thekitchn.com. The velvety sauce is imbued with an unmistakable funk of blue cheese. An Occasional Omnivore first, I  used less cheese than the original recipe called for. A little gorgonzola carries a ton of flavor weight, and I didn’t want the eggplant to get lost in a cheesy mess.

The eggplants in this dish are roasted instead of fried, which cuts prep time and clean up. And the underdog of the meal is a garnish of chopped parsley. It does more than sit pretty for photos. By sprinkling it on at the end, the grassy herb serves as a fresh foil to the rich gorgonzola.

If you’re looking for a quick, quirky alternative to pasta alla norma or eggplant parm, this is it.

Eggplant Pasta with Gorgonzola
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium eggplants
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
4 ounces cremini mushrooms, diced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup packed basil, thinly sliced
1 pound fettucine
Salt and pepper
6 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400°. Toss eggplant with 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Spread the eggplant onto a large, rimmed baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast until eggplant are tender and light golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salty water to a boil. Also, heat remaining olive oil in a large pot, add onions, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Add garlic, cook 1 minute more. Stir in mushrooms, crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add pasta to boiling water, and cook according to package instructions.

Meanwhile, add roasted eggplant to sauce, and continue to simmer, at least five minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water. Add water to the sauce, along with pasta and gorgonzola. Toss the pasta to coat it with the sauce. Divide pasta onto plates, and sprinkle with parsley.

Serves 5 to 6

Last week, I turned to Bee Heaven Farm’s newsletter for a lovely, lazy vegetarian dinner and easy way to cook up my box’s eggplant and komatsuna (a Japanese green closely related to the turnip). I made a quick riff on Worden Farm’s Eggplant Garlic Komatsuna recipe, adding lemon for zip and substituting red onion for garlic (somehow I ran out of garlic) and basil for cilantro.

I served a heaping portion of the eggplant with buttery green beans and rice. I know I should have worked more protein into the meal, but then it wouldn’t have been so lazy.

Lemony Eggplant with Komatsuna
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced red onion
2 medium eggplant, diced
2 to 3 cups chopped komatsuna
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons thinly sliced basil
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a wide, deep frying pan on medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggplant, and cook five minutes more, until it begins to soften. Add about 1/2 cup water if eggplant sticks to the bottom of the pan. Turn heat to medium. Mix in the komatsuna, cover the pan, and cook 3 minutes more, until greens are tender. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in salt and pepper to taste, basil, and lemon juice.

Serves 4 to 6

I roasted last week’s CSA eggplant along with yellow squash (from the Redlands as well, thanks to Publix) and red onion to fill a savory galette. Garlic chives and basil added an herbal touch, and a mound of goat cheese pushed the richness quotient to its limits.

I divided the pastry into four small wedges—better proportioned for a light lunch or starter than a main course. But the slices packed sufficient calories and flavor to compensate for the mini portion.

Any number of roasted vegetables would work here. What doesn’t taste good wrapped in buttery pastry and topped with cheese? This recipe from Behind the Skillet, for example, includes eggplant, tomato and a red onion confit that bares a striking resemblance to my red onion jam.

Eggplant and Squash Galette with Goat Cheese
1 recipe galette dough (see onion-leek galette with fresh goat cheese)
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 medium yellow squash, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
10 basil leaves, roughly torn
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic chives
1 egg, beaten

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°. Toss eggplant, squash, red onion and garlic with olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Allow vegetables to cool. Remove skin from garlic and thinly slice (it won’t be full-on mush after the short, 30-minute cooking time).

Meanwhile, on a lightly floured surface, roll pastry into a 15-inch circle; it should be about 1/8 inch thick. Distribute garlic slices on top of the pastry. Then mound the eggplant mixture into the center of the pastry, leaving at least a 2-inch border. Top with goat cheese.

Fold the edges of the pastry over a few inches of the eggplant mixture, leaving the center exposed. Brush the pastry with egg. Transfer to a sheet of parchment paper and then to a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the pastry is golden.

Serves 4

]]> http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/12/15/eggplant-and-squash-galette-with-goat-cheese/feed/ 1 http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/08/27/spread-the-eggplant-love/ http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/2009/08/27/spread-the-eggplant-love/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 01:13:34 +0000 Caroline http://www.occasionalomnivore.com/?p=880

I began making this roasted eggplant spread for William when we first started dating. It’s simple, satisfying—just as good atop a slab of bread (as it’s used here) as it is a side dish or salad. 

I made this a day in advance for the ultimate weeknight supper in minutes. Here it’s topped with a good sprinkle of Parmesan, but I’d also enjoy it with a melted piece of provolone or mozzarella.  

Simple Roasted Eggplant Spread 
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained finely chopped
2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano 
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, toss eggplants, bell pepper, onion, and garlic with olive oil and salt and pepper (you can add more after it cooks). Spread eggplant mixture onto a large baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until eggplant is tender. 

Spoon eggplant mixture back into bowl, and squeeze garlic cloves from their skins. Lightly mash the vegetables. You want the mixture the be spreadable, but retain some sense of chunk.  

Stir in vinegar, capers, basil, oregano, and additional salt and pepper, if needed. 

Use the spread for sandwiches or as a dip, side or salad. 

Serves 6 as a sandwich filling

Since we ate at Chola in New York a few weeks ago, I’ve wanted to replicate the baigan bharta, or pureed eggplant curry, that I shared with William. The spices were complex but not fiery. It was super filling and, of course, delicious.

This weekend I cruised the web for a suitable recipe and located this gem on My Feasts, which I edited and served with curried green peas and naan. 

But my night of cooking started with drama. I pulled a William (sorry, honey) and read the ingredients list but not the instructions before I got started. So when I realized I had to grill or bake the eggplants for 40-plus minutes, I knew I would have to improvise or my stomach would implode.

Somewhere hidden in my brain’s recipe file, I remembered a Mark Bittman article on cooking with a microwave, specifically a recipe for microwaved eggplant curry.  

Although I stuck with my original ingredients list, I used his microwaving method (see recipe instructions below). The eggplants miraculously softened, and I chopped them into a creamy heap before adding them to a balanced curry spice blend. 

This was an absolute kitchen victory. This eggplant is amazing. And God bless my microwave—it defrosts a bagel every now and then, but last night, it saved my meal.

Baigan Bharta
3 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch knob ginger, peeled and minced 
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Instructions
In a single layer, place half of the eggplant slices in a microwave-safe baking dish. Cover loosely with parchment or wax paper and cook for 6 minutes on high. Remove paper and cook 2 minutes more on high. Transfer eggplant to a cutting board, and cool slightly. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium. Stir in mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, chili powder, and garam masala. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add onion, and cook 3 minutes more. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute. Pour in tomato and any juice, stir, and cook until tomato breaks down, about 5 minutes. If mixture looks dry, add a few tablespoons of water at a time. Stir in cilantro, chopped eggplant, and salt; cook 5 minutes and remove from heat. 

Serves 4

Curried English Peas
2 cups frozen green peas
Kosher salt  
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 shallot, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
1/3 cup coconut milk

Instructions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, and add a generous pour of kosher salt and the frozen peas. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and shock with cold water. 

In a small frying pan, heat a oil over medium, and add shallot and ginger. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, and cook 1 minute more. Pour in coconut milk and peas, tossing to coat. 

Serves 4