Tuesday, July 22, 2008

What does one do with White Eggplants???


Well, what I thought were cucumber plants have yielded me the most amazing WHITE EGGPLANTS. Scott called me while I was in Atlanta saying that he thought our cucumbers were white zucchini... when I arrived home I realized that not only were these not cukes, they were not zucks either!

I do not see a lot of difference in the flavor of white vs. purple except that they are a little milder. When I googled them I found:
White-skinned varieties (figure A) such as 'Casper' are tasty and easy to grow, and they give your garden as special twist. Often tauted for being less bitter and nearly seedless, the white, tear-shaped fruits are a real change from the typical purple color usually seen in eggplants.

So far, we have had eggplant three times, all grilled and we have not finished one eggplant. Either we will be eating LOTS of eggplant this summer or I will have to sell some at the Farmer's Market.

This Sunday I made an interesting dish with grilled eggplant, peppers, onions, garlic, chickpeas, steak, cumin, coriander, curry and greek yogurt. So good!

I also found this recipe that I want to try:
EGGPLANT AND WHITE BEAN STEW
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 sm. eggplant (about 12 oz.)
2 sm. zucchini (about 6 oz. each)
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes
2 cans (about 15 oz. each) sm. white beans, drained
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped coarse
Heat oil in a 4 to 5 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes until softened. Meanwhile cut the eggplant lengthwise in 6 slices, then crosswise in 1/2 inch chunks. Slice zucchini in 1/2 inch thick rounds. Add eggplant and zucchini to onion; increase heat to high and stir 3 minutes until vegetables are lightly browned. Add remaining ingredients except walnuts; stir to mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 4 to 5 minutes until eggplant and zucchini are crisp tender. Stir in nuts. Makes 6 generous servings.

Notes: This is a super casserole for guests. There is no meat in it, yet I have had guests remark how filling and complete the meal is, refusing to believe there is not any meat in it, they don't recognize the rather subtle taste of the eggplant.