Fruits and Veggies Monday: A Summer Staple {Eggplant}

Happy Monday folks!  This weekend was jam-packed, so it went by in the blink of an eye.  Dinner and a movie with friends, farmers market with a client, work, then celebrating Father's Day with both @dksart's family and then my own.  Whew!  At least I will have all of the beautiful entries to @lenasveganliving's #fruitsandveggiesmonday contest to help sustain me with lots of nourishing fresh produce. ;)

Since I haven't had the chance to do much of my own weekly meal prep yet, I'll share a little bit of what I have been making with one the mainstays at the farmers market this time of year--eggplant!  There are lots of varieties available here in Georgia.  Of course the traditional deep purple globe eggplant is most common, but just this past week I saw white, Chinese or Japanese, Graffiti (Sicilian), and some of the smaller Fairy Tale ones.  Most of the time they are pretty interchangeable in recipes, but some are a little more tender than others.  The long, slender Chinese or Japanese eggplant, for example, has less seeds and the skin is thinner making it a great option for grilling.  I picked up a few of those this week.

I am planning on doing some un-fried green tomatoes, and I think I'm going to slice these up and do a similar battered and baked treatment to see how they come out.  Last week I got both the common variety and some of the pretty graffiti eggplant.  Unfortunately it does not keep the vibrant color when you cook it, but it's still pretty to look at when it is raw. :)

With the other seasonal gems like tomatoes and zucchini popping up, my farmers market haul screamed out for a take on ratatouille.  I think the first time I had a ratatouille dish was at my sister's wedding.  It was the best thing I ate that day!  I have a little work to do on my own version before I share, but I'll tease with a few photos in the meantime.

My final product was not quite what I was going for, but it was actually delicious.  A very creamy (yet totally vegan!) take  on the meal, with many possibilities for future experiments.

I did have success with my first time making baba ganoush (eggplant dip).  To be fair, it's pretty tough to mess up an easy dip. ;)  @dksart really liked the combination, so I will be sure to make it a regular in our rotation.  I did add some white beans to mine, and he likes a bit of kick so a pinch of cayenne helped make it pop.

Oil-Free Baba Ganoush

• 1 medium eggplant, roasted & peeled
• 1/2 cup cooked white beans
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 small lemon, zest & juice
• optional pinch or two of sea salt

Roast your eggplant in the oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until tender, flipping halfway.  Mine took about 75 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place in a heat proof bowl.  Cover and let steam for 10-15 minutes.  Once cooled, peel of the skin and cut off the stem.

Place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.

While eggplant has never been my favorite, the more I play around with it the more I enjoy it.  Though nightshades sometimes get a bad wrap (individuals with arthritis or other inflammatory issues may need to limit or omit if they cause flare ups), eggplants are full of antioxidant compounds that are good for brain health, cardiovascular health, and protection against free radical damage.  The dark purple varieties are especially high in anthocyanins, which is one of the nutrients that makes blueberries and beets so healthy!

I have many more months to enjoy all of the many varieties of eggplant available, so I hope you all share some recipes to help give me more ideas on how to incorporate it in my meal plan!  A happy and healthy week to you all!

Speaking of health--my friend @woman-onthe-wing is back in action with the #makeithealthy compilation, so make sure to check it out:  https://steemit.com/health/@woman-onthe-wing/make-it-healthy-trail-forget-googling-health-tips-just-turn-to-your-expert-steemit-friends-instead