Eight Eggplant Recipes You'll Love

The eggplants in our garden are ripening on an almost daily basis. It's hard to keep up but this is such a glorious time of year, especially when it comes to food. Here are eight tried and true ways to enjoy eggplant's delicious, nutty, sweet, almost meaty flavor.

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Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomatoes, Feta & Basil
A delicious way to enjoy fresh tomatoes and eggplant. The stacks are particularly fun for kids -- if yours eat vegetables :)

Thai-Style Eggplant Salad with Scallions, Herbs & Greens
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggplants. The combination of the sweet, nutty roasted eggplant rounds with the zesty lime, spicy sriracha, the scallions, cilantro and greens is complex and divine.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
This is a much easier, lighter version of eggplant Parmesan that I love. You layer slices of nutty, roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and parmesan and bake the whole thing until it's beautifully browned and bubbling.

Pomegranate Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans & Chives
Roasting the eggplant slices with pomegranate molasses turns them into the most amazing little savory candies. Paired with toasted pecans and some chives (cheese is optional), it makes a delicious side.

Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping
The perfect dish for late summer and early fall - sautee eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and basil with sausage and top with decadent cornmeal biscuits. It's not a quick meal but it's so worth the time. Please forgive the photos - this was before I knew anything about lighting...

Hasselback Eggplant with Pesto and Tomato
This recipe is so wonderfully simple and easy. Although I first made it in the woodstove since it was the dead of winter, you can use either the grill or your oven. Slice an eggplant, brush each slice with olive oil, salt and pepper then smear pesto and tomato paste between each slice, wrap the whole thing in tinfoil and grill or roast until soft and meltingly flavorful.

Pasta with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini, Fresh Tomatoes & Herbs

This is a perfect way to make use of the late summer bounty. Roasted eggplant, summer squash + sungold tomatoes + basil + a blizzard of Parmesan = delicious pasta!

Baba Ghanoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This dip is a Levantine favorite and with good reason. Eggplant's silky, nutty, sweet flavor is amplified by the addition of lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, and cumin. Baba ghanoush is a wonderful, healthy snack when served with sliced carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers or pita bread and an essential part of any mezze-style meal.

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Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad

You might not think these things go together until you try them. Then you realize that nothing could be tastier.

The combination of flavors and textures is truly delightful -- sweet, crisp watermelon, thinly sliced onion, aromatic mint, salty feta and olives. It's one of the most refreshing things I've ever eaten.

Assembly is a breeze. The recipe below is from Nigella Lawson. Enjoy!

-- print recipe --
Watermelon, Feta and Black Olive Salad
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 1/2 small red onion, peeled, halved and cut into very fine slices
* Juice of 2 limes
* 1 1/2 pounds ripe watermelon, seeded and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
* 4 ounces firm feta cheese cut into similar-sized chunks
* 1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley, rinsed and dried
* 1/2 bunch fresh mint, rinsed, dried and chopped
* 1/8 cup good olive oil
* 1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
* Several grinds of black pepper

Directions

1. Place the onion in a small bowl with the lime juice and let them stew while you prep the other ingredients.

2. Place the chunks of feta in a large bowl. Tear off sprigs of parsley and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.

3. Pour the sliced onion and lime juice over the salad in the bowl, add the olive oil and olives and toss very gently. Add a few grinds of black pepper and taste, adjusting the seasonings as needed (you may want a little bit more lime juice.)

You might also like:

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Feta, Tomatoes & Basil

Chopped Summer Salad

Thai Eggplant Salad with Fresh Herbs & Greens

Baba Ghanoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This silky, nutty eggplant dip has a lovely, complex flavor and a surprising sweetness. Baba ghanoush makes a great snack served with crudites (a fancy word for sliced, fresh veggies), pita bread or chips and is a must-have component of any self-respecting mezze platter. It's also a great way to make use of the overwhelming number of eggplants in our garden right now. So I made some.

According to Wikipedia, the translation of baba ghanoush is "pampered papa." Why not? In any case, I like saying it...

The preparation is pretty simple and although it takes a little while to roast or grill the eggplants, the rest is very quick. Start with the freshest eggplants you can find. Ours are a mix of three varieties -- any kind will work.

Pierce the skin with a fork a number of times all over. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, brush them with olive oil and lay them cut-side down on a heavy baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is soft and the skin is all wrinkly.

Let them cool down enough to handle them safely then use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of each one.

You'll have something that looks like this. Don't be discouraged - it will taste delicious!

In the bowl of your food processor, add lemon juice, garlic, tahini paste, olive oil, cumin powder and salt. You can also add cayenne pepper for a little bit of kick (I didn't have any). Process until smooth - 30 seconds or so. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. That's it!

Baba goes beautifully with all sorts of things - grilled lamb, chopped salad, hummus, feta cheese, orzo salad, couscous, fish and more. A note about the tahini: if you hate it or are allergic to it, you can substitute mayonnaise and make a very similar dip which is called salat ḥatzilim b'mayonnaise though I admit that I have not tried this yet.

One other note, per my friend Pia. If you have a woodstove and want to make baba ghanoush in the winter, try roasting the eggplants right on the coals - about 5 minutes on each side. It's quick and adds a wonderfully smoky flavor! I can't wait to try this though I am not particularly eager for winter to begin...

-- print recipe --
Baba Ghanoush
Serves 4-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

* Several eggplants (the number varies based on the size of the eggplants but you want them to add up to about 2 lbs)
* 3 Tbsps organic olive oil
* 3 Tbsps tahini paste
* 1 large clove of garlic, minced or pressed
* Juice of one lemon
* 1-2 tsps sea salt, or more to taste
* 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the skin of the eggplants with a fork and cut each one in half the long way. Brush the cut side with olive oil and place, cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for roughly 35-40 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and the interior is very tender. Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. If you prefer to grill the eggplants, preheat your grill, pierce the skin with a fork, rub them with olive oil and cook over high heat for several minutes on each side, flipping once the skin is blackened. Take the charred eggplants off the grill and put them in a paper bag, fold it closed and let them steam in their skins for 15 minutes before proceeding with step 2 below.

2. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skins - it should come out easily. If you want a chunky, rustic-style dip, mash the flesh with a fork until it reaches your desired consistency, then add the other ingredients and mix well. Or, if you prefer a smoother dip (I do), place the flesh in the bowl of your food processor along with the garlic, remaining olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and cumin powder. Process briefly, until somewhat smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.

3. Let cool to room temp, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

You might also like:

Thai Roasted Eggplant Salad with Herbs and Greens

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomato, Feta and Basil

Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans and Chives