EGGPLANTS
With all the varieties of summer eggplant, it’s hard not to take advantage. The most common is globe eggplant, with deep purple skin and creamy colored flesh. White eggplants, graffiti eggplants, and skinny Japanese eggplants are also summer crops. A good eggplant will be solid, heavy, and firm with no wrinkles, blemishes or indentations.
Prepping eggplant takes some work- but it’s well worth it to whip up fresh tasting eggplant Parmesan or babaganoush in February!
To freeze:
Slice off stem end. Cut into 1/2″ thick rounds, and arrange oil a foil lined baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and grill or broil until browned, flip and repeat. Freeze slices on sheet trays and transfer to zip top bags when frozen.
To freeze eggplant pulp, wrap whole eggplants in heavy duty aluminum foil. Prick with a sharp knife. Grill until soft and collapsed. When cool, unwrap and scoop out flesh. Pack into Tupperware containers and freeze.
FAVORITE USES
Add to cooked grains, toss with lemon and veggies for salad, babaganoush (eggplant and tahini dip), eggplant Parmesan
RECIPE IDEA
Fresh and Fast Eggplant Parmesan
There’s no mess of breadcrumbs, bubbling oil and messy dishes for this eggplant parm recipe. The eggplant is broiled to retain its fresh flavor. Homemade tomato sauce can be used instead of canned tomatoes.
- 1 eggplant, sliced and broiled (not necessary to defrost)
- 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
- 8 oz ricotta cheese
- 28oz can crushed tomatoes
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Handful fresh basil leaves, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Open can of crushed tomatoes, and stir in oregano, basil, salt, pepper.
In a greased baking dish, starting with sauce, layer eggplant, dollops of ricotta, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. End with mozzarella cheese.
Cover and bake for about 30 minutes at 350 until cheese is bubbly and sauce is thickened.
Melissa’s Nutritional Tidbit: This is a brilliant idea.You can truly have deliciously ripe summer produce all year long with a bit of time and effort on your part. In America, you can buy all kinds of produce all year long, but your wallet may suffer. Take advantage of the cheaper prices and succulent produce in the summer, so that you can enjoy in the fall/winter too!. Freezing produce retains its nutrition, so don’t be afraid that not eating them fresh will take away its healthy goodness!
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