Eggplant, Elegant Lady of the Summer Garden

Once upon a time there was a thing called “seasonality”. We, dinosaurs, would have never even thought of having peaches at Christmastime, oranges in the summer, chestnuts in spring. Now, instead, we hardly remember what grows when, as everything is available in the stores year round. Anyway, for those like me who, besides being dinosaurs, are also food-obsessed, flavors, smells and textures are a great memory conveyer.

All this brings me to EGGPLANTS.

If I think “summer” in my childhood days I think watermelon, I think green beans, I think peaches, I think zucchini, but before anything else I think eggplants! How’s that for a favorite child food, uh? And I have the nerve to act surprised when I see my son swallowing guacamole and corn chips as if they were candies…I wonder who he got that weird trait from.

My dad used to take great care (and pride) of (and in) the vegetables he grew in his garden. In the summer we used to have a huge production of almost all of that mentioned above, plus tomatoes (of course), peppers and many other vegetables. But eggplants have always been my favorites. Even while still attached to the plant, in their fancy dark purple evening dress, tall and slim ladies of dad's garden (he liked the long kind).

My mom used to often cook them “al funghetto”, which means “like you do mushrooms”. Now, it’s a given that you need garlic and parsley for that, but there are some people who also add tomatoes while some others don’t. My mom belonged to the party who did not. I sometimes do, sometimes don’t. “Melanzane al funghetto”, that’s how they’re called in Italian, are a tasty side dish, but if you get to save some leftovers try use them on a pasta (see picture). It’s excellent both hot or room temperature, like you would serve a pasta salad. Or, have them over some toasted crusted bread, as a different bruschetta.

I also remember eating them stuffed, fried, grilled, in “parmigiana”, pickled… only recently have I discovered the “polpette di melanzane” (eggplants ball) and I think they are delicious. I use them for a vegetarian cannelloni (where I roll them up to substitute the cannelloni noodle). I make a spread for crostini that makes excellent appetizer, or can be used over grilled meat. Shall I go on? I could. But I will stop here for now, with my tribute to a very versatile and tasty vegetable. That my husband hates, by the way… :-)