Aubergine Anyone?

For those of you on the west side of the big puddle (Atlantic Ocean) I'm talking about eggplant here.

It's the end of October but we've just finished harvesting our aubergine. I like the sound of the French word for this vegetable much more than "eggplant". We brought in about 10 lbs of two varieties - the traditional large "egg" shaped fruit, and the skinny, elongated variety. Frost was threatening and we didn't want to lose all this produce.

Faced with processing this versatile vegetable, we came up with three tasty recipes which worked well for us.

My version of Deborah Judah's Baba Ganouj

1 lb of aubergine, roasted or grilled
1 whole garlic, peeled
juice from half a large lemon
1/4 cup Tahini paste
1 tablespoon dried basil
salt and black pepper

Coarsely chop the roasted aubergine in a food processor using the metal blade. Add the garlic and process briefly to chop the garlic into the aubergine. Change to the plastic processor blade. Add the remaining ingredients and process to mix well. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. Serves 4-6 as an appetizer or may be used as a dip or sandwich spread.

This is Stuart's own version of Eggplant Parmesan:

1 pound of aubergine, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch slices (round or lengthwise)
1 egg, beaten
1 cup of wheat germ
Canola or olive oil
1 1/2 cups of crushed tomato
1 tablespoon of dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh, chopped, basil
4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped mushrooms
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Sprinkle the aubergine slices with salt and set aside.
Pour the egg into a flat dish.
Saute the mushrooms in a tablespoon of the oil until softened and browned. Set aside.
When the aubergine has started to sweat (beads of moisture will appear on the outside of the slices), pat it dry with paper towels or clean cotton towels. Dip both sides of the slices into the egg, and then dredge with the wheat germ. Set on a clean plate until all the slices are ready.

Pour oil into a large frying pan to cover the bottom with about 1/4 inch of oil. Heat the oil until very hot and then turn down the burner. Place the aubergine slices into the hot oil and fry gently on both sides, until brown. Remove from the oil and place on paper towels or cloths to drain.

Layer aubergine slices on the bottom of a one-and-a half inch deep ovenproof dish and sprinkle with garlic, mushrooms, crushed tomatoes and basil. Repeat the layers until all the ingredients are used. Finish with a thin layer of tomatoes and top off with the two cheeses.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until bubbly and golden brown. Serves 4.


Aubergine Fritters

Slice aubergines lengthwise into pieces about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. Sweat and then dredge in beaten egg and wheat germ as in the previous recipe. Fry the pieces in deep oil until cooked through. Drain. Serve as a first course topped with tomato sauce. Allowed to cool, the pieces will make excellent dippers for any savory party dip. The cooled fritters may be frozen and reheated in an oven at a later date.