Do you get in a rut with your choice of vegetables? It’s easy to rely on the old standbys such as potatoes, green beans, carrots, and peas. You get the idea. Well, today we are going to talk about getting out of your comfort zone.
I challenge you to try a vegetable you would not ordinarily choose.
First let’s talk about eggplant: that beautiful deep purple or white, egg-shaped item you see in the grocery store or the farmers market. Eggplants are readily available. They are easy to grow in our area during the late spring and early summer, and you can easily find them for sale this time of year at plant stores.
Eggplant is a squash belonging to the nightshade family of vegetables. It can be served as an appetizer or a side dish or even a main entree such as eggplant parmesan.
My mother never cooked eggplant, but if we went to Luby’s I always chose the baked eggplant with a cracker crust and cheese. I have no idea if it is still on the menu but it is a fond childhood memory.
Eggplant is easy to prepare. Choose a nice firm plant that is not overly large and has shiny skin. It should be firm and heavy feeling. It is better to choose two medium-sized specimens than one large one. The larger plants are more mature and have more seeds in the center. Press the plant with your thumb gently. If it springs back it is ripe. Store at about 50 degrees if possible. Do not puncture the skin or cut before ready to use. Like mushrooms, only wash eggplants just before preparation and store in a loose plastic bag in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. If it comes packaged in a tight plastic covering, then remove or cut a few holes for ventilation.
When ready to use, peel (if desired), slice and place eggplant on a paper towel. Sprinkle the slices lightly with salt, allow 30 minutes to sweat. This removes some of the naturally occurring bitter taste and water. Rinse after the sweating to remove salt and pat dry. This also makes the eggplant less likely to absorb a lot of oil during cooking.
Eggplant is a good source of fiber and potassium. There are countless eggplant recipes online. Many of them would make a main dish and thus a meatless meal for one night. An eggplant casserole plus salad and bread make a full meal.
Another plant I want to call to your attention is fennel. It looks rather strange like a stalk of celery gone wild. It is not always in the store but watch for it. Fennel bulbs are eaten as a vegetable raw and sliced in salads. It can be braised, grilled or sautéed. The stalks add flavor to vegetable stock.
Feathery fennel fronds have an anise flavor, and are used as aromatics in roasting fish or stuffed in roast chicken. Fennel seeds are used in Indian, Asian or Middle Eastern cooking. It is one of the spices in Chinese Five Spice. It is also found in sausage seasoning.
It is easy to grow in your backyard garden, but do not plant next to dill, bens or tomatoes because it has a tendency to cross -pollinate. To get Fennel bulbs you must plant Florence fennel. When the bulb starts to form, heap dirt upon the bulb till ready to harvest. This will produce the desired white bulb you see in the stores. Fennel is high in vitamin C and a good source of calcium, fiber and potassium. Fennel pairs well with fish, especially salmon.
Comments are always welcome. I can be reach at PatsChat@livingston.net.
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