Recipes

Submitted by Rhonni.
This salad is best made before serving and keeps well in the fridge. It’s a good one if you grow the smaller variety of eggplant.

Ingredients

3 eggplants, cut into 3cm cubes
salt and pepper
olive oil for shallow frying
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
50g pinenuts, toasted
1 tomato, finely chopped
small clove garlic, finely sliced
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup coriander eaves
1/2 teaspoon cumin

For the dressing
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 T sherry, red wine vinegar or verjuice
1 T olive oil

Instructions

1. Rinse or salt the eggplant if desired.
2. Shallow fry the eggplant in batches until golden brown all over.
3. Drain on kitchen paper.
4. Combine the cooled eggplant with the remaining ingredients and season.
5. For the dressing: combine the lemon, sherry and oil.

Serves 4.

 

Ingredients

2 large eggplant
3 eggs
1 T milk
1 clove garlic, crushed
11/2 cups grated parmesan
1 T finely chopped continental parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil

Instructions

1. Slice eggplant into 5mm thick slices.
2. Whisk eggs and milk in a shallow bowl until well combined.
3. In another shallow bowl mix breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic and parsley. Season and mix until well combined.
4. Coat both sides of an eggplant slice with egg mixture then transfer to breadcrumb mix, coat both sides and set aside. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
5. Heat 3-4 T olive oil in a large heavy bottom fry pan over medium-low heat. Place 4-6 slices of eggplant in the pan and cook until golden on each side (about 1-2 minutes).
6. Transfer to plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining eggplant in batches adding oil between batches as needed.
7. Serve hot or cold.

Ingredients

2 small eggplants
2 T vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup awase miso paste  (a mix of red and white miso paste)
2 T mirin
1 T granulated sugar
1 T sake
sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Slice eggplant in half and score inside in small squares.
2. Add oil to pan over high heat and place eggplant skin side facing down.
3. Cook for a few minutes until skin is  brown. Turn eggplant over and cover pan. Cook until eggplant is cooked through ( 3  to 4 minutes).
4. Mix miso, mirin, sugar and sake in a bowl.
5. Line a cooking tray with foil and place the eggplant on top. Brush eggplant with miso mix until all the surface is coated.
6. Put in oven and grill for 4 minutes or until miso mix is bubbling.
7. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve hot.

 

Submitted by Celia. From Hopewood Health Retreat.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, or small ones
2 T tahini
1 clove garlic
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
sprigs of parsley, chopped, for garnish
paprika

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Prick eggplant to prevent bruising and bake in oven for 45 minutes or until flesh is soft.
3. Cool and peel, remove as much juice as possible, then mash or blend in food processor to a puree.
4. Add tahini and lemon juice, beat after each addition.
5. Add cumin and blend.
6. Taste and add more lemon juice or tahini if you like.
7. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley.
8. Serve with flat breads.

From the Women’s Weekly Not-So-Humble Vegetables cookbook:

European folklore has it that eating eggplant skin caused insanity. We prefer the Turkish tale where the sultan fainted with pleasure upon eating a dish of tiny stuffed eggplants…proof of the allure of this seductive vegetable.

A tip from Vicki

Vicki has found this tip from Maggie Beer very handy.
Soak sliced or cubed eggplant for an hour or so in a large bowl of water. Drain well in colander, pat dry then fry, roast or barbecue with olive oil. The eggplant will not soak up as much oil during cooking.

 

Celia and Vicki had a stand at the Kiama Farmers Market on Wednesday.  It was very successful and lots of people questioned what Slow Food Saddleback is about?  We enticed locals with a small sample of a Warrigal Greens (NZ Spinach or Cook’s Cabbage)

Bush Tucker  Pesto.  Here is Vicki’s recipe!

Take 1 prepared cupful of Warrigal Greens (prewashed, dipped in boiling water for 1 minute and quickly cooled in a bowl of iced water then drained/squeezed well) It’s very important to cook it first!

1 generous cup of any garden herbs (washed and drained) I used garlic chives, coriander, parsley and rocket.  Basil would be nice too.

Place greens in a food processor with 1 or 2 cloves of garlic (I like to precook in boiling water for a few minutes to take away the bitterness) and process with

1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 cup of walnuts (any nuts ok), a pinch of salt and or sugar to your taste and juice of lemon.  Capers are a very nice addition too. Parmesan is another alternative.

I serve it on pasta, toast, potatoes or a cracker. Delicious!