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twotoescharlie
07-25-2005, 09:26 PM
anybody here know how to cook eggplant? ( I ain't talkin' about chicken either), I mean the vegetable.

TTC

waksupi
07-25-2005, 10:07 PM
Pretty much like zucinni. Slice it, put tomato paste and parmesan on it, and bake. Then throw it out the back door. I don't like eggplant. Or zucinni.

This is really the only time of year you need to lock your vehicles around here. Otherwise, you will return, and find the front seat full of zucinni. If you have a pickup with an open bed, you are truely screwed.

floodgate
07-26-2005, 12:47 AM
anybody here know how to cook eggplant? ( I ain't talkin' about chicken either), I mean the vegetable.

TTC
twotoes:

Wife Bev devoted several years to finding good eggplant recipes: "Anything that pretty has got to be edible!" Here's a simple one, and a reference to some other good ones:

Now my turn-

First,any of the large eggplants MUST be salted and drained before further prep to avoid awful mouthpuckering bitterness. Usually not needed with the small slim Oriental eggplants, but never hurts, and the small ones are great just halved lengthwise, sloshed with vinagrette and tossed on the grill with the chicken or whatever and cooked just until tender along with zucchini or whatever the garden gives. If you buy one, choose one with no shriveling or bruising and a healthy green top. Do not refrigerate, just keep at room temp (cool) and use within a couple of days.

Baked Eggplant

Peel one large eggplant and slice crosswise into abt. 1/3" slices. Salt both sides of slices generously and prop in layers in a colander to drain for abt. 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Put abt. 1/2 cup of mayonnaise in one saucer and about the same amt. of fine store-bought breadcrumbs with abt. 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese and any herbs you like in another saucer. Add a good grind of pepper to the crumbs.

Pat each side of the eggplant slices with a paper towels. Then slather both sides with mayo, dip into the crumbs (both sides) and place on baking sheet. Bake for abt. 20 minutes - until tender when pierced with a fork - turning once halfway through. Good as a side dish with just about anything - especially lamb.

A really good source of eggplant recipes is "The Victory Garden Cookbook" by Marian Morash (Abebooks should have it). The one for beef rollups is a favorite. I also use thin broiled slices of eggplant instead of pasta for a really good lasagna - esp. good when made with goat cheese.(our own, and very mild)

Also have a truly super recipe for Moussaka - a terrific Greek casserole using eggplant. Lots of typing (which isn't really my speciallity), but would be happy to share it with anyone who's really interested. Let me know how it turns out - Bev

jh45gun
07-26-2005, 03:26 AM
[QUOTE=waksupi]Pretty much like zucinni. Slice it, put tomato paste and parmesan on it, and bake. Then throw it out the back door. I don't like eggplant. Or zucinni.

This is really the only time of year you need to lock your vehicles around here. Otherwise, you will return, and find the front seat full of zucinni. If you have a pickup with an open bed, you are truely screwed.[/QUOT

Well about eggplant I have never found a use for it but that zucinni or how ever you spell it makes fair pickles if they are small enough. At least for bread and butter pickles that is the only way I have tried them. Some folks make a mock apple pie out of them too but I will stick with apples. :)

kenjuudo
07-26-2005, 08:09 AM
Rick, Never pass up a truck load of plinkin' targets!

jim

sundog
07-26-2005, 09:18 AM
jh45gun, eggplant parmesian! Fried is purdy good, too, when the fruits are young and tender. Just about like fried green 'maters.

My mother had a recipe for eggplant parmesian that no one ever turned down. The embedded slices were almost like veal. Mmmmmmm-mmm. I remember one time my aunt said my cousins wouldn't eat eggplant. Well, they were only told the paresian part, they all ate, they all liked it, asked for more, and there was none left. After that if was one of their favorites. sundog

StarMetal
07-26-2005, 11:48 AM
Sundog

You must have some Italian blood in your family. My grandma use to make fried eggplant with parmesian too. I am currently making it now. Did you eat Bacala too when growing up?

Joe

btr-cj
07-27-2005, 02:59 PM
Fried with Parmesan is the way my mother first got me to eat it many moons ago.

I have a large list of recipes for eggplant. About 250 KB
Send me an email and I will send the list in text form.

C.J.
Btr_cj@netzero.net

TCLouis
07-31-2005, 02:06 PM
Start with a nice FIRM shiny eggplant

Slice a medium sized (3-5 "diameterX8-10" long) into slices about 5/16" thick,
crosswise or lengthwise is fine, kinda based on what fits in the skillet (one of 3 reasons for owning an electric skillet in my mind)

Lightly salt each slice and stack back in order to rebuild the egplant (let this set about 30 minutes to an hour). Nice to do, but not a have to do thing
Some cut off the skin, I never do

Crush, grind or do what you have to to make a couple cups of cracker crumbs while the eggpalnt is draining. I do them a box at a time in the food processor and save them in ziplock stored in the freezer.

Beat two eggs and about 1/2 cup of milk in a flat open container. Whatever you have to make it easy to dip the eggplant slices.

Preheat the electric skillet to 325 degrees (each skillet may vary to get eggplant done and brown at the same time).

Place the cracker crumbs in an open container Plate works best) between the egg and the skillet,

Dip the eggplant in the egg mixture allow t slightly drain and then coat lightly with cracker crumbs (Yes, flour will work, but it NOT near as good).

Place in the lightly oiled (EVOO or Canola) skillet. Turn eggplant slices when browned well and one will likely have to add more oil at this time. When thoroughly browned and cooked, set on a paper towel to absorb as much oil as possible (placing them in warm oven will help). Yes, there is quite a bit of fat, but no meat is needed and EVOO is actually supposed to be good for you.

Marinara sauce, Parmesan (Romano will work too) cheese and some Mozzerella layered in a dish and baked wiill make a fine main course.

Or use the fried eggplant as a main course and serve steamed green veggies with a cucumber salad (see the next post for the salad). The salad can easily fully substitute for the veggies.

TCLouis
07-31-2005, 02:19 PM
Oh Yeah have this at room temperature and prepare it while cooking the eggplant

Cucumber Onion and Tomato Salad

Pick/purchase one large fresh cumber.

Peel, quarter lengthwise and slice into slices 1/4 thick.

Place in a bowl and thinly slice (1/16-1/8" X 3/4-1" long) a good sweet onion Vidalia, Texas Sweet, or Walla walla (about 1/4-1/3 of the cucumbers volume)
Toss together well in the bowl.

Add fresh RIPE tomato cut into 1/4" squares (about 1/4- 1/2 of the volume of cucumber and onion mixture.

JUST before serving drizzle lightly (VERY LIGHTLY) with a ZESTY Italian Dressing (we have found Kroger store brand to be best).

Toss again lightly and allow each person to salt and pepper to taste.

9.3X62AL
08-02-2005, 11:49 AM
We had Eggplant Parmagiana last night, Marie made it almost to the letter from TC's recipe. REAL good!

If I'd known how easy it was to get zucchini with a pickup truck, I never would have put the camper shell on it. Or planted the stuff in May. Delicious!

carpetman
08-02-2005, 12:38 PM
Deputy Al---Marie made eggplant almost to the letter of TC'S recipe. In here that ALMOST is usually a big deal. For example for the eggplant she substituted bananas and for crackers she used vanilla wafers and the cheese sauce she used vanilla pudding as they were about the same color. Served it cold instead of hot. Other than that was ALMOST TC's recipe. BTW I have sex almost everyday. Almost on Monday,almost on Tuesday------------.

Scrounger
08-02-2005, 01:17 PM
[QUOTE=carpetman]Deputy Al---Marie made eggplant almost to the letter of TC'S recipe. In here that ALMOST is usually a big deal. For example for the eggplant she substituted bananas and for crackers she used vanilla wafers and the cheese sauce she used vanilla pudding as they were about the same color. Served it cold instead of hot. Other than that was ALMOST TC's recipe. BTW I have sex almost everyday. Almost on Monday,almost on Tuesday- whenever I get to the sheep pen...