I had a great harvest of both eggplants and capsicum this summer, unfortunately coinciding with not being able to eat them (gut issues due to long covid). I had frozen both in the hope that I could eat them this winter but with so much in my freezer in that category, I decided to turn them into preserves that I could share with others, and adapted a relish recipe to suit. It takes quite a while to prepare all the ingredients for this Eggplant & Capsicum Relish Recipe - but the result is … [Read more...]
Eggplant Recipe with Fennel and Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
Eggplant with Fennel and Balsamic Vinegar is my variation on a Sicilian-style eggplant dish. I didn't have any capers and swapped out other ingredients too. 1 large eggplant (or several long thin ones) Olive oil Salt and pepper 1 small onion 2 large stalks from a fennel bulb Handful of pinenuts Handful of cranberries 1 clove garlic 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar approx 1/2 cup water Cut the eggplant into long thin wedges. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well … [Read more...]
Crispy Eggplant with Whipped Feta Recipe
This Crispy Eggplant with Whipped Feta recipe has to be one of my all-time favourite eggplant recipes. It looks absolutely amazing, and has a wonderful combination of flavours and textures: creamy, crunchy, salty, delicious. 1 large eggplant (or several smaller) Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 100g feta (half a pack) 1/4 cup Greek yoghurt 1 tsp ground cumin 1 heaped tbsp pistachios (chopped) 1 heaped tbsp pomegranate seeds Handful of fresh herbs, chopped (I used parsley and … [Read more...]
Eggplant Panini – with a twist
It is summer vegetable glut time again when I am desperately looking for different ways to use the vegetables to get some variety (see more ideas at the end of this post). I heard someone say that you could use slices of eggplant/aubergine to replace the slices of bread in a panini or toasted sandwich and decided that that was worth trying. Cut 1cm slices lengthways of your eggplant. Top slices with your favourite toasted sandwich filling - I used cheese and rhubarb relish. Place second … [Read more...]
Eggplant Lasagne Recipe
This eggplant lasagne recipe is a great way to use a late summer glut of eggplant (or aubergine). You can use a combination of whatever vegetables you have available - I had not quite enough eggplant and courgettes that were still producing so I used those. It uses lasagne sheets broken into pieces and stirred through the mix, which keeps it simple and all in one pan rather than bothering with layering the vegetables and pasta. Of course you can do that if you prefer or use any type of pasta you … [Read more...]
Chinese Cucumber Salad Recipe
In my previous post I shared my Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce recipe. This time I share my version of a recipe for the Chinese Cucumber Salad that I enjoy especially with home-made dumplings. It is very easy and a delicious way to enjoy the summer glut of cucumbers. 1 largish cucumber (peel if it has tough skin) 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp sesame oil The main aim of … [Read more...]
Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce Recipe
After having a delicious but simple eggplant dish at a Chinese restaurant, I decided to see if I could replicate this at home. I found a few recipes online but didn’t have some of the ingredients so this is my version of Chinese Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce. 1 medium eggplant or several smaller ones 1 spring onion 2 cloves garlic 1 red chilli 1/2 inch fresh ginger 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1/2 tsp sugar Oil Chop eggplant into small pieces. If you like … [Read more...]
Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe
I had such a great harvest of eggplants last summer, so have been trying all sorts of different recipes to use them. This classic northern Italian Eggplant Parmigiana Recipe is one of my favourites. You can serve it with a salad as a vegetarian main dish or use it as a side vegetable dish with meats. I baked and froze slices of eggplant to use to make this recipe over the winter months. You can use courgettes or fennel instead of the eggplants and top with mozzarella cheese if you … [Read more...]
Layered Eggplant & Capsicum Salad
This layered eggplant & capsicum salad is a tasty and colourful way of presenting late summer vegetables. I love the use of fresh herbs and the combination of Middle Eastern flavours. Although the recipe gives quantities, just go with what you have. The first time I made this I didn't have any capsicum ready in the garden and I'd used the last of my frozen capsicum so I used a jar of preserved capsicum. 3 medium red capsicum (but use whatever colour you have) 1 kg eggplants (the long … [Read more...]
Finally Success Growing Eggplants
I have previously posted about my variable success growing eggplants or aubergines, and how some years I throw them out in disgust at the end of the season after only managing to produce one or two eggplants. Each year I plant them again in the seemingly vain hope that I will get a bumper crop. I've tried them in different positions in the garden, in self-watering pots, in my glasshouse, and sometimes achieved a reasonable harvest. This summer though I hit the jackpot! I was later than usual … [Read more...]