Eggplant

The perfect complement to all types of barbecued ribs is a large bowl of mixed grilled vegetables. The charred highlights of the multicolored dish make it as appealing to look at as it is to eat. Oil makes the colors of the vegetables glisten, while the balsamic vinegar and honey provide a rich, sweet flavor.

This way of cooking eggplant makes the flesh soft and creamy. The miso glaze sweetens it with a Japanese flair.

The beauty of this recipe is that the oven does the work while you leisurely prepare a salad and set the table.

A hearty stew with a robust taste, just right with the nutty flavor of bulghur wheat.

This sandwich was developed through our Fresh Air Fund Internship Program by three industrious and talented teens. See page 106 for the story behind the sandwich.

Eggplant is like a sponge, soaking up whatever moisture it encounters. This, at least in part, is why it is typically breaded when fried—the bread crumbs serve as a shield to limit how much oil is absorbed. In this recipe, however, we salt the eggplant for about an hour to remove excess moisture and then fry it without a coating so it absorbs some oil. Decadent? Absolutely; the eggplant becomes luxuriously creamy and custardy. As buffalo mozzarella is a bit milder and softer than regular mozzarella, it is a perfect complement to the eggplant, but you can use whichever mozzarella you prefer. Interestingly, both the eggplant and the cheese are really the supporting cast in this sandwich; it is the relish that’s the star. The secret ingredient? Anchovies. If you need a purely vegetarian sandwich, leave them out, but they lend a subtle kick, and with the sweetness of the raisins and texture of the pinenuts, you have a picante and assertive relish.

Not only do these veggies look and taste great, but they cook quickly, there’s no mess, you can serve them at any temperature, and you can make them ahead of time. Plus, the leftovers can be used on sandwiches or in salads, as condiments or side dishes.

Caponata is one of the great Sicilian vegetable dishes, often eaten as a relish alongside pork roast or fish. The eggplant-based recipe features a wonderful sweet-and-sour taste, one of the hallmarks of Sicilian cooking—a combination of sugar and vinegar that provides a tingling push-and-pull sensation in the mouth. In my family, we often ate caponata as an antipasto, spooned over toasted bread, and used any leftovers for wonderful sandwiches. It can be eaten hot, cold, or at room temperature, making it the ultimate vegetable dish for a casual party.

Eggplant Parmesan is one of the classic red-checkered-tablecloth Italian-American recipes, but I prefer this slightly easier and lighter recipe, with a very similar concept—combining eggplant with cheese and marinara sauce. This makes an elegant, satisfying side dish as well as a great entrée for a vegetarian meal (make sure your vegetarians eat dairy, though—there’s lots of it here). You could also make this dish with zucchini.

Roasting brings out the best flavors in fall vegetables, and it’s a super-easy way to cook them, as well: just cut them into cubes and let the oven do the rest. Once puréed they become a warm, mellow sauce that collects in the tubular pasta, so that when you bite one the flavors explode in your mouth.

When my family and I made trips back to Italy to visit my grandfather’s family in Naples, his sisters often made one of these impressive timbales. It looked a bit plain on the outside, but when you cut into it, it was always filled with a delicious mixture, and as a kid I thought it was just so cool. I still do.

I always prefer to use Japanese eggplants when I can because I find they are less bitter and don’t require salting the way bigger eggplants sometimes do. This is a very substantial salad and also very good looking, with pretty layers of eggplant, cheese, and nuts.

With its Old World flavors and tempting aroma, this versatile dish is a big hit at potluck suppers. Depending on whether you use the main recipe or one of the variations, you can create an entrée, a one-dish meal, or a side dish from the same basic ingredients

I always have tomato sauce in the kitchen, and that is what I would use to bake these eggplant fans. But if you don’t have any on hand, or don’t want to make it, just use homemade or canned chicken broth. The idea is to keep the eggplants moist as they bake.