Aubergines

[Vez1]

I don't actually have any aubergines but for those of you who do here is a recipe that landed in my email box today.


Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 50 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings



INGREDIENTS
2 large eggplants
1/2 cup olive oil, or as needed
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups dry bread crumbs
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

DIRECTIONS
Remove the leaves from the eggplants, and slice in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the centers of the eggplants, leaving a half-inch shell so they resemble 'canoes'. Cut the center portion into small pieces, and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, and saute for a few minutes, until tender. Add the eggplant pieces, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the tomato, green pepper, and parsley. Simmer for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs until evenly blended. Divide the mixture evenly between the four eggplant shells. Sprinkle feta cheese over the top. Place the eggplant halves on a baking sheet.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops are browned and the cheese is melted. Serve hot or cold. I prefer them chilled.

[Vez1]

[Merlins Mum]

Thanks Vez1, sounds delicious, will give it a try.  I love aubergines but I usually roast them along with anything else I have, lovely with garlic bread  :)

MM

[BAGGY]

I made a 'thing' last night with veg including an aubergine (bought form the farm shop - aub disaster zone me).  OH came home whilst I was going chop,chop, chop.  "what's that?" said he.  "dunno" I replied but it was ........
In one of those chicken bricks, roasting tin with lid, layer of thin aub, chopped 1/2 red onion found in fridge, red pepper, halved cherry toms, mushrooms, about 8 runner beans snapped into bits.  Herbs and tsp sweet paprika and half a cubed salami.  Another layer of aub topped with slices of beef tom.  Big slug of olive oil and a cup of tom juice (coz it was in the fridge asking to be used).  Then, coz they were there, I put 4 really nice chipolatas on the top.  Covered it and in the oven for 30 mins.  Lid off and crumbled the left over feta from the night before's greek salad and back in the oven to brown the sausages.  Served with crusty bread.  For a clear the fridge out dinner it was flipping tasty.  Prob would never be the same twice though.

[tim]

Now it's aubie season, may I stress that, despite continuing advice to the contrary, there is NO need to 'degorge' them. It only mushes them & makes them over-salty.

Pru Leith does well with 33 recipes for them. And the ST mag today has some appetising offerings.

[organicartist]

Thanks for the recipe Vez, I made a version of this a few days ago and it was delicious!

[wardy]

Baggy that sounds fabbo.  Don't you think you make tastier meals with the leftovers?  I seem to  :)

[tim]

Love Jamie but , in his new Guardian (& that's gone down the drain!!) leaflet - "get nice firm aubs with very few seeds". X-ray eyes of course? Just wish!

Even had seeds in one of my 1" Thai Long Greens today.

[Derekthefox]

Yes Baggy, those are my favourite meals, like you say, you can never eat them twice though ...

Derekthefox :D

[wardy]

I have one tiny aub and it's never grown any bigger for weeks so it's going in the pot

[Jill]

I've had a solitary aub for a while now but just discovered two more developing.  Better late than never, I suppose.

[tim]

It would help others give encouragement if we knew where grown, what type & when sown.

Do look at Vida Verde's earlies?

[Jill]

Happy to oblige Tim. ;D Grown mainly in southwest facing conservatory but spent August outdoors.  Type: Rosa Bianca (but showing no signs of pinking), sown end March and fed and watered regularly.

[tim]

In Scotland or the Isle of Wight??

Not that will give me the answer. But it plays for time!!

[Jill]

The sunny and so far frost free Garden of England.

[tim]

Too many pictures of me on this page.

I can only say that I'm surprised. Rosa is an "80-90 day" fruit, but it's a pretty large one? And given the stupid 'summer' we've had, everything is out of kilter. But if we can average 10+ fruit to a plant outdoors on a Cotswold hill, Kent should be able to do as well! But then, we don't go for the 'fat' ones!