Harmony Valley Farm: Eggplant Recipes

Hello and welcome to August! We’ve had a very cool week, which means some things are ripening a bit more slowly. Nonetheless, we have a lot of delicious summer vegetables in this week’s box! Lets start with eggplant, this week’s featured vegetable! In recent years I’ve really come to like and enjoy eggplant much more than when I was first introduced to it. Last winter, before COVID-19 took over the world, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Italy. I enjoyed eggplant with several different meals, but one dish in particular lingered in my memory. We were heading to Rome after visiting the island of Sicily and had spent the night traveling on a ferry. The boat was delayed coming into dock in Salerno on the Amalfi coast and by the time we got off it was lunch time and we hadn’t had breakfast. We were starving and our first mission was to find a place to eat lunch. We managed to find a place to park and from there went to the closest restaurant which happened to be a cafeteria, which I must say is much nicer than cafeteria style restaurants in the US! We figured it must be good though because it seemed that this is where the working class locals were going for lunch. We each got a slice of pizza and some vegetable sides including a marinated eggplant served at room temperature. It was so simple, but so delicious and thus, I’ve attempted to recreate the recipe for you here. In this recipe for Salerno-Style Grilled Eggplant (see below), the eggplant is grilled, then you slide the pieces into a marinade that you essentially make by putting all the ingredients on the plate/bowl you’ll serve it in. When the hot eggplant hits the oil laced with garlic, onions and parsley, the flavors and scents start to unfold. Yes, the eggplant soaks up the olive oil, which adds richness to this otherwise very mild, lean vegetable. I like to eat this with grilled bread a slice of simple pizza or a simple pasta dish. You can also use this same application for grilled zucchini. The other recipe this week is for Chocolate Eggplant Torte (see below). That’s right—eggplant in a baked dessert! I had to try it and I must admit—it’s quite good! In this application, you take full advantage of the silky, smooth texture of the eggplant to add body and texture to the cake. This recipe is vegan and gluten free. It is a bit more dense and fudgy in texture, which is quite delicious. Give it a try and see what you think!

Egyptian Spinach

Before we go too much further into the box I want to talk about this week’s bunched green Egyptian Spinach. This is a unique green that grows best during the heat of the summer. It is rich in nutrients and is most often eaten cooked. It contains a soluble fiber that gives it a viscous texture when cooked and it’s so delicious! If you’d like to learn more about this vegetable, I encourage you to read the Vegetable Feature article we published in our newsletter back in 2013. My top recommendation for using this vegetable is to make Egyptian Spinach Soup. This soup is simple, but it is so delicious. It’s also such a nourishing soup I guarantee you will feel so good after you eat it!

We’re into our second planting of zucchini right now and this week I’m inspired to talk about Zoodles! That’s right, zucchini noodles. Don’t think you have to have a spiralizer to make these, although if you do you can certainly use it! Visit this blog post at LoveandLemons.com where you can learn about other tools and ways you can make your own Zoodles. You’ll also find a list of recipes using zoodles including this vegetarian recipe for Zucchini Noodles with Lemon “Ricotta.” This recipe includes a vegan “ricotta” that is made from nuts and seeds and the dish gets a splash of color and flavor from grape tomatoes. It’s a simple, light and refreshing alternative to pasta salad!

I decided I need to get more creative with using cucumbers before the season is over and to help achieve that I found this article for 50+ Cool As A Cucumber Recipes! This collection has some traditional, common versions of cucumber recipes, but it also has a lot of really off-the-beaten path ways to enjoy cucumbers including a Cucumber Lime Lavender Spritzer, Hoisin Glazed Salmon Burgers with Pickled Cucumbers, and Bahn Mi Pizza featuring quick-pickled cucumbers, radish and carrots served on top of a cheesy pizza with all the flavors of a traditional Bahn Mi Sandwich! There is also a recipe for Tuna Quinoa Toss which is a nice one-bowl, complete protein lunch option.

Creamy Garlic and Onion Spaghetti
photo by *~Lissa~* for allrecipes.com

While onions go in so many dishes as a background flavor, you can also use them as a main feature item as well! Check out this recipe for Creamy Garlic & Onion Spaghetti. You could easily add chicken, shrimp and/or broccoli to this recipe as a variation as well. Jalapenos are seldom the star of the show either, but they can be! Check out this recipe for Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas with Creamy Jalapeno Sauce or try Bacon Jalapeno Deviled Eggs. This recipe makes quite a lot so you might want to cut it in half.

If you missed last week’s Sweet Corn Vegetable Feature I’d encourage you to go check it out. We featured two recipes featuring sweet corn last week. The first was for Sweet Corn Pancakes, which are served with maple syrup. The second is for a Grilled Corn & Kale Salad which I think is quite tasty! After we published the recipe I realized cilantro would also be a good flavor to add to this salad. Why didn’t I think of that sooner?! Give it a try!

While Richard always prefers mayonnaise based vegetable salads, I want to try this Italian Potato Salad with Green Beans. This salad has a red wine vinaigrette with fresh herbs as the dressing and includes green beans and tomatoes. Very fitting for this time of year!

Fried Eggs in Green Pepper Rings
photo from reluctantentertainer.com

I typically keep it simple when I prepare green beans, and this recipe for Green Beans with Sesame Sauce appears to be quite simple, yet flavorful! Speaking of simple, we have one simple, humble green bell pepper in this week’s boxes. If you don’t know what to do with one pepper, consider eating it for breakfast! Try these Fried Eggs in Green Pepper Rings or Potato and Bell Pepper Breakfast Hash.

The broccoli continues, although it tapered off a bit this week. I don’t make casseroles very often, but why not make a good old broccoli casserole this week! I found two interesting recipes, the first is a Healthy Broccoli Casserole that also has a base of mushrooms. The second one is a One-Pan Wild Rice and Cheesy Broccoli Casserole.

Last, but not least, the melons and tomatoes are finally starting to ripen and you’ll likely receive one or the other in your box this week. This week we’re picking Sun Jewel melons which are a unique, early season Korean melon with sweet, crispy white flesh. If you’re looking for something interesting to do with this melon, try Chef Tory’s recipe for Cucumber and Melon Salad with Feta Cheese. Chef Tory has several restaurants in Madison, Wisconsin. We participated in a dinner last year sponsored by The Isthums for a video series they produced entitled “Food for Thought.” Click the link for the recipe and you’ll also find the video! Trust me, this salad is so delicious!

Ok, we’ve reached the bottom of the box. Whoa, that was a haul! Get ready though, we have a lot more coming up for the next few boxes including edamame, cantaloupe, watermelons, more sweet corn and purple beans! Have a great week!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Flashy, Silky, Classy--That's Eggplant

By Chef Andrea

Listada Eggplant

We didn’t eat a lot of eggplant where I grew up in central Indiana. In fact, the first time I ate eggplant might have been when I was in culinary school. As beautiful and eye-catching as it was, I have to admit I was a bit intimidated by it because it was unlike any other vegetable I had ever seen. Eggplant is a unique crop in a class all its own, but I also think it may be one of the most beautiful crops we grow! Over the years I’ve learned to appreciate eggplant, its characteristics and the traditional ways eggplant shows up in cuisines all around the world.

Eggplant grows on plants that are several feet tall. There are many varieties of eggplant ranging in size from small round ones the size of a golf ball to large globe eggplant weighing over a pound. They come in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of purple to black, green, white and orange. We have narrowed our line-up of eggplant to four including Lilac Bride, Purple Dancer, Listada and the traditional Black eggplant. Please refer to our previous blog post which includes pictures and profiles of each eggplant and highlights the characteristics of each in further detail. Each variety is best for different uses, so it’s helpful to visualize which variety you have before you decide how you want to use it.

Black Eggplant

Eggplant is a member of the nightshade family and must be cooked. Many resources will tell you to salt eggplant before cooking it to remove bitterness. While some older varieties were bitter, the new varieties we grow have been selected because they are not bitter, thus you can skip the salting step for that reason. You may still choose to salt eggplant to soften the flesh so it doesn’t absorb too much oil. Most of our varieties of eggplant have skin that is tender enough to eat, thus depending upon how you are using it, you do not always need to peel them either.

Eggplant has a soft, silky texture when cooked, which is one of its most unique attributes. While its flavor is very mild, the texture is what allows it to absorb other flavors. When you cut into eggplant, you might even describe its raw texture as being kind of “spongy,” and in many ways it is kind of like a flavor sponge! When pairing eggplant with other ingredients in dishes, make sure you’re using good quality ingredients. For example if a recipe calls for olive oil, make sure you use a good olive oil as the eggplant will absorb that flavor. Eggplant is often paired with other summer vegetables including tomatoes, onions, garlic and peppers. It also goes well with flavorful olive oil, tahini, herbs such as basil and parsley and spices including cumin, coriander, sumac, and cinnamon. Depending on the part of the world a recipe is coming from, you’ll also find eggplant served with dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella), and cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.

Eggplant & Chickpea Patties, HVF Newsletter
July 28-29, 2017

When cooking eggplant, you definitely want to cook it to the soft and tender point. This is not a vegetable that you want to be “al dente” or to have any “crunch” left in it. Soft and smooshy is good, but you can have soft, tender eggplant that also holds its shape. Some varieties will do this better than others. Eggplant may be grilled, fried, sautéed, baked, steamed, stewed and roasted. In addition to the classic dishes mentioned above, I was surprised to learn that eggplant can also be used in baking! I was so intrigued I had to give it a try, but it also makes sense so why not?! Eggplant functions in ways similar to applesauce or bananas in baked goods by adding moisture and a silky, smooth texture.

Eggplant does not store terribly well, so it is best to use it soon after getting it. It is best stored at a temperature of about 45-50°F, but your home refrigerator should be colder than this which can cause chill injury. Thus, we recommend storing your eggplant on the kitchen counter and use it within 2-4 days. If it does start to get a little soft, don’t worry, just cook it. It will get soft with cooking anyway!

Chocolate Eggplant Torte

Yield: 6 servings or 12 cupcakes

1 eggplant, approximately 1 pound

1 cup 70% dark chocolate chips

1 banana

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup good quality raw cacao powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ cup almond flour

Coconut oil, for greasing pan

Optional Ingredients for Garnishing

Dark chocolate

Sliced almonds

Powdered Sugar

Grease a loaf pan and line with a sheet of parchment paper or prepare a muffin tin with paper liners.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet, then slice the eggplant lengthwise. Place on the cookie sheet, cut side down. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the eggplant is cooked through and very soft. Remove the eggplant and cool enough to handle. Scrape the flesh away from the skin and puree it in a food processor or blender. You will need 1 cup of eggplant puree. If you have extra, reserve it for another use.
Melt chocolate chips over boiling water in a double boiler.
Once the chocolate is melted, add to a food processor or blender along with the eggplant puree, banana, maple syrup and vanilla. Puree until smooth. The mixture will look like a thick pudding at this point.
In a large mixing bowl, sift the cacao powder, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda. Add the almond flour and salt. Stir to combine the dry ingredients, then add the chocolate mixture and stir until just combined. The batter will be pretty thick at this point.
Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan or portion the batter into muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes (if using a loaf pan), or 25 minutes if making cupcakes.
Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the pan, then grasp the parchment paper lining and use it to transfer the cake to a plate. If you are making cupcakes, carefully remove the cupcakes in their paper liners and allow to fully cool on a cooling rack.
Once fully cooled, garnish to your liking. You may dust the cake/cupcakes with powdered sugar or you may choose to melt some additional chocolate to drizzle on top along with sliced almonds. Serve at room temperature and store any extras in the refrigerator.

This recipe was adapted from FreshPlanetFlavor.com.

Salerno-Style Marinated Grilled Eggplant

Yield: 3-4 servings (as an appetizer or side dish)

3 Tbsp sunflower oil or other neutral oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound eggplant

¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp finely minced garlic

1 Tbsp finely minced onion

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

¼-½ tsp red pepper flakes

Flaky salt (such as Maldon), for serving (optional)

Prepare the eggplant by slicing it in either direction (your choice), ¼ to ½ inch thick. Lay the slices out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush sunflower oil on the eggplant. Season lightly with salt and pepper, then turn all the slices over. Repeat on the other side. Set aside for 10-15 minutes
Preheat a grill to medium heat. Alternatively, you may use a grill pan on the stovetop.
While you are preheating the grill, prepare the marinade. Select a serving plate or flat, shallow bowl that is 10-11 inches in diameter. Pour the extra-virgin olive oil on the plate, then add the red wine vinegar by drizzling it on top of the oil.
Next, sprinkle the minced garlic & onions, chopped parsley and red pepper flakes over the surface of the oil. Set aside in a location near where you will be cooking the eggplant.
When the grill is ready, add the slices of eggplant. Grill for several minutes on the first side, or until there are nice grill marks and the eggplant is starting to soften. Turn all the pieces over and repeat on the other side. Be careful to monitor the heat. You need it hot enough to get good grill marks, but you don’t want the eggplant to cook too quickly. Once you have nice grill marks on both sides, test a piece to see if it’s fully cooked (tender and soft). If it is not, move the slices of eggplant to a cooler part of the grill and continue to cook for a few more minutes or until it is tender. Alternatively, you can transfer the slices to a cookie sheet and bake them in a 350°F oven until they are tender (5-15 minutes depending on the degree of doneness and thickness of the slices).
When the eggplant is fully cooked, transfer the slices, while still hot, to the platter containing the oil mixture. Slide the pieces of eggplant into the seasoned oil so that the oil, garlic, etc is on the top and bottom of each piece. Allow the eggplant to cool in the oil to room temperature. If desired, or if it needs to be seasoned a little more to your liking, sprinkle with additional salt prior to serving.
Serve at room temperature along with crusty bread if you wish. After all, you need something to sop up the extra olive oil!

Recipe developed by Andrea Yoder.

Variation: This recipe is also applicable to zucchini. If you prefer, you could use a mix of zucchini and eggplant.

Wednesday, August 7, 2019

August 8, 2019 - This Week's Box Contents, Featuring Eggplant!

Cooking With This Week's Box

Sierra Blanca Onions: Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes (see below); Amish Potato Salad; Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak; Sloppy Joes; Zucchini & Onion Gratin

Green and/or Italian Zucchini: Zucchini & Onion Gratin; Zucchini Banana Bread

Broccoli: Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Bites; Broccoli Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing

Green and/or Silver Slicer Cucumbers: Yogurt & Cucumber Sauce (see below); Cucumber and Lime Juice

Italian Garlic: Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes (see below); Yogurt & Cucumber Sauce (see below); Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro; Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak; Spaghetti with Collard Greens & Lemon

Orange Carrots: Carrot Fritters (with cumin); Collard Wraps with Raw Curried Carrot Pate; Broccoli Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing

Green Beans: Pan Fried Potatoes & Green Beans; Spicy Green Beans with Sesame Walnuts

Gold Potatoes: Amish Potato Salad; Pan Fried Potatoes & Green Beans

Green Bell Peppers: Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro; Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak; Sloppy Joes

Jalapeno Peppers: Roasted Tomatillo & Chickpea Curry; Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro

Tomatoes: Tomato Confit

Tomatillos: Roasted Tomatillo & Chickpea Curry; Fried Tomatillo Frittata

Eggplant: Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes (see below)

Collard Greens: 12 Vegetarian Collard Wrap Recipes; Collard Wraps with Raw Curried Carrot Pate; Spaghetti with Collard Greens & Lemon

Cilantro: Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes (see below); Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro; Broccoli Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing

Welcome to this week’s Cooking With the Box article. This week we’re focusing on eggplant as our featured vegetable of the week and I have three recipes to share with you. However, this week’s recipes don’t all contain eggplant. Rather, these three recipes are intended to go together to make a full meal. Let me explain. This week’s recipes come from Yasmin Kahn’s beautiful book entitled Zaitoun, a collection of recipes she gathered from her experiences spending time in the homes and communities of Palestinian people. Her book is beautiful in so many ways, but especially in the way she is able to honor the identity of a group of people who have been displaced from their land. Despite their hardships, these people have been able to maintain their cultural identity making their food and culinary heritage an even more precious thing to experience. So even though we’re on the other side of the world, it’s pretty cool that, through food, we can experience a little taste of this culture in our own kitchens. I encourage you to try this week’s recipe for Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas & Tomatoes (see below) which is meant to be served at room temperature either as a vegetarian main dish or as part of a spread of other dishes (referred to as Mazzeh). Serve this dish with a simple, cooling Yogurt & Cucumber Sauce (see below) to counter the acidity of the tomatoes. I’ve also included a recipe for Arabic Bread (see below) because “…soft, chewy flatbreads are used as a utensil at the Palestinian table, where they are put to good use scooping up the vast array of tantalizing small dishes and dips.” While this bread recipe is very easy to make, it does require a bit of time to allow the dough to rise. If you’re short on time, you can serve this meal with pita bread instead.

Zucchini Banana Bread
photo from wellpalted.com

Last week I made this recipe for Zucchini Banana Bread as a snack for our market crew. I made it into muffins instead of bread, which worked equally as well. They turned out very good and were a hit with the crew. They are very moist and flavorful and freeze well, so make a double batch and stash some in the freezer OR shred your extra zucchini and freeze that so you can make this bread during the winter! The other zucchini recipe I have in the cue for this week is this Zucchini & Onion Gratin. Vegetable gratins such as this are a classic French technique that is really quite simple to execute. This dish could serve as a vegetarian main dish or you can serve it as a vegetable side dish along with grilled or roasted meats. Add a few slices of fresh tomatoes or cucumbers and you just created a tasty, yet simple meal.

While we’re whittling down our pile of zucchini, we might as well conquer cucumbers as well! In addition to the recipe for Yogurt and Cucumber sauce, this week I want to make this recipe for Cucumber and Lime Juice. It’s a refreshing way to stay hydrated while making good use of cucumbers!

Amish Potato Salad, photo from mrfood.com

It’s been a long time since I’ve made potato salad, but I think it’s time to make a bowl this week. Potato Salad was one of my Grandma Yoder’s specialties and while no one will ever be able to match the taste of hers, this recipe for Amish Potato Salad comes pretty close! The Sierra Blanca onions in this week’s box are a great onion to use in this salad and the waxy gold potatoes are also a good choice since they’ll hold their shape nicely without becoming mushy. Serve this salad with Sloppy Joes! This recipe for sloppy joes seasons the meat with fresh onions and bell peppers, which are in this week’s box! If you aren’t into sloppy joes this week, you could also use the bell peppers and onions to make Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak. The chicken and vegetable part of this sandwich is cooked in the crock pot and is then served on a nice crusty roll.

Last week we featured a recipe for Portuguese Bread and Garlic Soup with Cilantro. If you didn’t have a chance to try this simple soup last week, you have another opportunity to do so this week utilizing the onions, garlic, cilantro and green bell peppers in this week’s box.

Looking for something to do with that bunch of collards in this week’s box? Check out this collection of 12 Vegetarian Collard Wrap Recipes which includes this recipe for Collard Wraps with Raw Curried Carrot Pate. The broad, flat leaves of collards make excellent vegetable wrappers that you can use in place of tortillas and the like. I also like this simple recipe for Spaghetti with Collard Greens & Lemon. If you need a quick dinner, this is a great recipe to turn to.

Tomatillos are great for making salsa verde, but there are other ways to use them! This recipe for Roasted Tomatillo & Chickpea Curry is one of my favorite things to make with tomatillos. It’s an interesting dish that is kind of a fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisine. I also like this recipe for Fried Tomatillo Frittata which is good served at any meal of the day!

When it comes to fritters, I generally think of potato or zucchini as the vegetable of choice. I came across this recipe for Carrot Fritters and want to give this a try this week. While fritters like this are best eaten freshly made, you can also reheat them as leftovers. It’s best to reheat them in an oven or toaster oven to reclaim their crispy exterior and prevent them from being soggy. This would be a good side dish to serve with a sandwich, or add other vegetable dishes to round out a vegetarian meal. Another good dish to serve alongside is Pan Fried Potatoes & Green Beans. This recipe is very simple, but that’s the key to cooking when it comes to fresh green beans and early season potatoes! If you don’t use your green beans for this recipe, consider trying my friend Amanda’s recipe for Spicy Green Beans with Sesame Walnuts. There are several things I like about this recipe. The green beans are first blanched and then blistered in a dry, hot skillet to give them a smoky flavor. They are finished with some Asian inspired seasonings of tamari and rice vinegar as well as toasty walnuts and sesame seeds. There’s a lot of flavor happening in this dish!

Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Bites
photo from runningtothekitchen.com

More broccoli this week? YES! Broccoli is packed with nutrients and when you look at health reasons for why we should eat broccoli, the list is pretty long. It’s a vegetable you want to eat frequently and there are many ways to enjoy it. This week I came across this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Bites. These “bites” are shaped into little balls that are baked, not fried. They contain all the flavors of buffalo chicken wings, just in a different form! Of course raw broccoli salads are also a great way to enjoy broccoli throughout the week. While many broccoli salads have a creamy dressing base, this Broccoli Slaw with Miso Ginger Dressing caught my eye as something different. This salad has a flavorful Asian style dressing featuring miso, orange zest, ginger, rice vinegar and sesame oil. It also draws a lot of fresh flavors from cilantro, mint and basil and at the end is topped off with coconut flakes.

The only item we haven’t touched on is tomatoes. Our tomatoes are coming on a little late this year, but nonetheless there are tomatoes in all boxes! If you receive the small varieties of tomatoes, I encourage you to just pop them in your mouth and eat them as a snack. Their flavor is really good right now! I also like to use these tomatoes to make Tomato Confit. I learned how to make this when I was doing my culinary internship in Scottsdale, Arizona. We used to make tomato confit to use as a base for flatbread pizzas. It’s also good eaten on toast or toss the confit with hot, cooked pasta for a quick dinner. If you receive a variety of larger tomatoes, get started on making BLTs! Since we don’t have lettuce available this time of year, we often forgo the lettuce part of the BLT and substitute other vegetables such as leaves of basil or slices of avocado.

Have a good week and I’ll see you back again next week with a few more new items including edamame and hopefully some melons!—Chef Andrea

Vegetable Feature: Eggplant: Flashy, yet humble

By Andrea Yoder

Eggplant is one of the most beautiful crops we grow. The plants grow several feet tall and, in their peak, are loaded with beautiful glossy fruit hanging heavy on the plant. In the world, there are many varieties of eggplant ranging in size from small round eggplant the size of a golf ball to large globe eggplant weighing over a pound. They come in a variety of colors ranging from various shades of purple to black, green, lavender, white and orange. We have narrowed our lineup to our four favorite varieties including Lilac Bride, Purple Dancer, Listada and the traditional Black eggplant. Refer to our previous blog post which includes pictures and profiles of each eggplant and highlights the characteristics of each in further detail. Each variety is best for different uses, so it’s helpful to visualize which variety you have before you decide how you want to use it.

Fried Eggplant Fritters

While eggplant is thought to have originated in the area around India and Pakistan, it has now been spread around the world. Since eggplant is part of so many cultures, there are a lot of ways you can use eggplant in your cooking. It is often incorporated into curry and stir-fry dishes in Indian, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. Sicilians are famous for eggplant caponata while Middle Eastern dishes include baba ganoush. The French put their mark on eggplant with the traditional Provencal dish, ratatouille. Eggplant has a mild flavor and soft texture when cooked, which is what makes it unique. While it isn’t a predominant flavor, it has a texture such that it is able to absorb other flavors and pairs well with other vegetables including tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers, potatoes and chickpeas. It also goes well with flavorful olive oil, tahini, herbs such as basil and parsley and spices including cumin, coriander, sumac, and cinnamon. It also goes well with dairy products including yogurt, cheese (feta, Parmesan and mozzarella), cream and fruits including lemons and pomegranate.

A Note From Chef Andrea

This week’s recipes come from Yasmin Khan’s beautiful book entitled, Zaitoun (which means “olive” in Arabic). This book is a collection of Palestinian recipes and stories about Yasmin’s experiences gathered while sharing meals with Palestinian people as she traveled through the area once known as Palestine. In this book she shares what she learned about the food and culture that shapes their lives. This week’s featured recipes build a full, simple meal. Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas and Tomatoes is best served at room temperature. Serve it with the creamy Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce on the side and Arabic flatbread. You do need to allow time for the dough to rise, etc, so if you don’t have time to make homemade flatbread, you can also serve this meal with purchased pita bread.

Roasted Eggplant with Spiced Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Yield: 4 servings

photo from Zaitoun,
By Yasmin Khan

1 ⅓ pound eggplant (about 2 large ones)

2 Tbsp olive oil or any neutral oil, plus more for the eggplant

Sea salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

14 ounce can of plum tomatoes

14 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

2 tsp sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground allspice

½ tsp ground cumin

Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Chopped cilantro, to serve

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Cut the eggplants in half, then into quarters and finally slice them into ¾ inch chunks. Place in a baking pan, drizzle with some cooking oil, sprinkle over a pinch of salt and then toss the eggplant to coat. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until soft.
Meanwhile, fry the onion in a large sauce pan in 2 Tbsp cooking oil until soft and golden (this will take about 15 minutes). Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes, chickpeas, sugar, spices and some salt and pepper. Fill the tomato can up with just boiling water and add that to the pot, too. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, until the chick peas are very soft.
Add the eggplant and cook for a final 10 minutes, splashing in more hot water if the dish looks dry.
Leave to cool to room temperature before drizzling over plenty of extra virgin olive oil and scattering with cilantro.

Yogurt and Cucumber Sauce

7 ounces cucumber (any type)

2 cups unflavored, plain yogurt

½ garlic clove, crushed

Small handful of fresh mint leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp dried mint

¼ tsp salt

Cut the cucumber in half and, using a teaspoon, scoop out and discard all its seeds. Chop the flesh into small cubes and mix them into the yogurt with garlic, fresh and dried mint and ¼ tsp salt.

Arabic Flatbread

Yield: 6

photo from Zaitoun,
By Yasmin Khan

2 cups bread flour, plus more to dust

2 tsp active dry yeast

¼ tsp sugar

1 tsp sea salt

⅔ cup lukewarm water

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling the dough

If you are using an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in its mixing bowl. Add half the water and the extra virgin olive oil. Knead for 5 minutes on a medium setting, or until the dough comes together in a ball. Every minute after this, gradually add a little of the remaining water, until all the flour has come away from the sides and you have a soft dough. (You may not need all the water.) If kneading by hand, follow the process above but, once you have mixed all the ingredients together in a bowl, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 7-10 minutes. The dough will be wet in the beginning, but keep going and it will become smooth, stretchy and pliable.
There are a few different ways to tell if your dough is ready. You can give the ball of dough a firm poke with your finger and, if the indentation that you make fills quickly, you know it’s done. If the dent stays, then continue kneading. In addition, you can do the “windowpane test,” which involves taking a small piece of dough from the ball and stretching it between your fingers and thumb into a very thin, almost translucent, square (so it looks a bit like a windowpane). If you can stretch the dough nice and thin without breaking it, then it’s ready. If not, keep kneading it for a few more minutes.
When the dough has been well kneaded, use your fingertips to smooth its surface with a drop of olive oil, trying to very lightly coat it. Place in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Knock the air out of the dough by firmly whacking it on your work top a few times. Cut it into 6 equal-sized balls. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an oval about ¼ inch thick. Cover with a clean, damp dish towel and leave to rise for a final 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to its highest setting. Lightly dust a pizza stone or 2 baking sheets with a little flour (this will stop the bread from sticking) and place in the oven to heat up.
Place the flatbreads on the hot stone or sheets; you will probably have to cook them in batches. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until the breads have just puffed up and are starting to color. Remove from the oven and cover with a clean cloth until cool, while you cook the remaining breads. Serve as soon as possible, or at least within a few hours.