eggplant

[MontyJ]

So, I started a few eggplants this year. I don't know why. I have never eaten eggplant. I don't know what it tastes like. I don't even know how to cook it. That didn't stop me from planting kohlrabi though. I still don't know how to cook that. I just pick one and peel it then eat it like an apple.

The eggplants are up. Now, just how many chickens can I expect from each plant?

 

[catjac1975]

Try it out in a restaurant. There are endless ways to prepare it. It tastes differently in every recipe. I love it! They are not always easy for me to grow. They seem to grow best for me in large pots. I put them in my tunnel greenhouse in a large pot with the bottom cut out. I think they like the added soil temp of a pot. I also plant them in the garden to essentially get a later crop. If I don't have a substantial plant they will not give me much of a crop. If I buy starts they are not big enough for fruiting in my zone.
Kohlrabi can be used also in stir fry or steamed. Love it also!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Eggplant is a warm weather crop, a lot like peppers. As long as I can keep the flea beetles from killing them, they do pretty well here, but later in the summer.

Eggplant has a flavor of its own and I like it baked or grilled. I'll just fry it off in a little oil. If you use it in a tomato based sauce, it really takes on that flavor. You might look up egplant parmisan to get some ideas.

 

[so lucky]

I have never cared very much for eggplant, but, in the spirit of trying to eat healthier food, I plan to try to grow some this year. Surely I will find a good way to fix it. My DH is the picky one around here. I just now have gotten him to start eating turnip and mustard greens. And he actually took a couple of bites of sweet potato the other day. Progress..... When we first got married, over 20 years ago, he would pick the tomatoes out of any dish that contained them. Now he loves tomatoes! Much better raw than cooked, but eats them cooked too.

 

[baymule]

I love eggplant! Fried eggplant (I'm southern-we fry everything here!) you can slice them, dip them in a batter and drop in hot oil. Or dip in cold water, then toss in cornmeal, then fry. Eggplant has a tendency to soak up the oil, so it has to be hot.

I also like to peel and slice, soak in lightly salted water for 30 minutes, then drain and pat dry. Put a thin layer of sphagetti sauce on the bottom of a cassarole dish. Place the sliced eggplant over the sauce. Sprinkle chopped onion, layer with sauce and eggplant, top with sauce. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes. Just before serving top with favorite grated cheese and put back in the oven to melt the cheese.

Variation; you can alternate layers of eggplant with sliced tomatoes.

 

[897tgigvib]

Depends on how many of them hatch Monty.

You'll find recipes for barbecued eggplant parmesan, and eggplant lasagne. There are ways to slice it and cook it so it is almost like a steak.

This August you'll be posting photos of your barbecued eggplant. Oh, I've heard tell of eggplant deep fried in chunks and made into horsedouvers, however hors d'ouevres is spelled.

 

[dickiebird]

I grow lots of eggplant but eat very little, give it all away, to me it's alot like squash or zuks, no flavor other than what you season it with.
But I do like to watch it grow.
The same goes for okra, I will eat some if breaded and fried to my liking, but mostly I love the wonderful flower they produce and how quickly the pods progress.
Today a wonderful bloom, tomorrow a tiny little pod and a couple days later pick it before it turns to wood!!!

THANX RICH

 

[thistlebloom]

I liked your first spelling Marshall. Very equestrian of you.

 

[digitS']

. . .There are ways to slice it and cook it so it is almost like a steak. . .

Steak?

Mary was picking on me for always wanting to make it as eggplant parmesan or just flour, egg batter and fry. She felt I should be preparing it in a more healthful way :/ .

Steak? What would that be like? As has been said, it takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. Could you season it with ~ what ~ A1 or maybe beef bouillon or how might one make it into something steak-like? I can almost imagine it . . . Chicken fried steak - no, I've got to get past that .

Steve

 

[nelson castro]

Eggplant can be cooked using several methods, such as frying, stir-frying, grilling, broiling, baking, and roasting. When cooking eggplant be sure to cook it thoroughly. When cooked properly it will have a flavor of its own and will have a creamy smooth texture. The eggplant can also be breaded to decrease the amount of oil it absorbs. When eggplant is to be added to stews or soups, it should be added during the last 10 or 15 minutes of cooking to prevent it from becoming mushy.