I love the humble eggplant. Can you tell by my previous posts? It is so beautiful and interesting, and has such a unique, mild flavor that I absolutely adore. It's becoming quite fashionable lately, which I appreciate because it makes it easier to find. I find eggplants at the grocery store to usually be very poor, but I have made some beautiful finds at the farmer's market. The skin (usually purple, but can also be green, yellow, or white) should be a vibrant color, and the eggplant itself should be firm and heavy for its size. And did you know that eggplants are related to tomatoes? I didn't, but it makes sense, as they grow on similar plants and have similar-looking seeds, which they store in a similar way.
According The World's Healthiest Food website, eggplant is a good source of folate, potassium, dietary fiber, and thiamin (vitamin B1), as well as manganese, tryptophan, and copper. But what is especially good about eggplant, is that it is rich with antioxidants which are powerful free-radical hunters. It is especially high in nasunin, which is known to protect brain lipids! So the next time you want to do something good for your brain, eat an eggplant.
Here is my recipe for Eggplant Parmesan, which I made the other night to rave reviews. My youngest daughter couldn't get enough, and my dad ate more than his share. The key is to sweat the eggplant first, then use buttermilk for the binder, rather than egg. Again, I never peel anything, because most of the nutrients are stored in the skin, so wash VERY WELL. From what I've read, the nutrients and antioxidants which is so beneficial to us are what protect the fruit from pests, disease, fungi, and other environmental hazards, which is why they are stored in the skin. Isn't nature amazing? Also, I make my own tomato sauce, since I found every jarred sauce at the grocery store to contain sugar and a lot of sodium. (Even Paul Newman let me down)
Southern Style Eggplant Parmesan*
(get your sauce going first)
1 large eggplant, washed and sliced into thin medallions
1 cup cornmeal
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup buttermilk, in a bowl
olive oil, enough to coat to the pan and more as needed
salt for sweating eggplant
salt and pepper to taste
Lay the eggplant medallions out on a baking sheet (or whatever surface you choose) and sprinkle liberally with salt. Let rest for 30 minutes (this will draw out moisture, as well as some of the bitterness, and keep eggplant from absorbing too much oil). Rinse the salt off and pat dry. Heat olive oil in a pan or iron skillet over medium heat. (You want it to sizzle immediately when you add the eggplant.) Combine cornmeal, flour, and salt and pepper to taste in a re-sealable baggy. Dip your eggplant medallions in the buttermilk, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture. Pan-fry medallions in the olive oil until they are crisp and golden brown. Serve over pasta.
My Home-Made Tomato Sauce
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can tomato sauce (not a jar of prepared sauce; the plane-jane "nothing but tomato" sauce. I use Hunt's)
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
olive oil, several turns of the pan
In a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender, then add garlic and sautee one minute. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Add spices. Turn down heat to low and let simmer about 30 minutes.
To put together the Eggplant Parmesan, I just use a bed of spaghetti, two eggplant medallions per person, cover with sauce, then sprinkle (liberally) with freshly-shredded mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately (the eggplant doesn't re-heat well)
*I also use this dredging technique to make the best pan-fried okra I've ever eaten! The okra doesn't need to sweat, just slice it, dip it in buttermilk, dredge in the cornmeal and flour, and pan-fry in vegetable oil until golden brown.
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