The Ranger replied to Om:

>> going to have to give Eggplant a re-try after all the raves here. I've
>> always disliked it.
>
> No; no particular order. I'll enjoy almost any vegetable cooked or
> uncooked. There's a few fruits that I can't stand, though (avacodo) but if
> I cover it up in a burrito, I can stomach it just fine.
>
>> It's all in how it's cooked. I never liked it plain, as my Mom served
>> it, and wasn't too crazy about the oil sponges wrapped in sand that
>> they sold in sandwiches, (Fried), but when I tried a ratatatouile, I
>> was in heaven!
>
> I salt and allow them to drain, then lightly roast them on a rack. That
> liquid in the generic eggplant is totally bitter. I haven't noticed any in
> the Japanese or Italian eggplant I've eaten, though. Go figure.
>
> If Om's ascared to try the regular variety, maybe visiting an Asian market
> or farmer's market might allow her to experiment without encountering the
> nastiness she remembers.
>
> My Sainted MotherT fried them after allowing them to drain and dredging
> them with a egg-flour batter. Damned fine eats! Little Brother and I
> rarely allowed the platter of finished product to sit long enough to make
> it to the dinner table...


I started planning my Memorial Day menu last night. For dessert I plan to
make eggplant ice cream. (The eggplant flavor is punched up a bit with
nutmeg and/or cinnamon.)

We've got some demi-baguettes which have turned hard, and one of the things
I plan to do is cut them into crostini to dip into baba ghanoush. We've had
the eggplant in the fridge for a week or more, so it's time to do
*something* with it.

Eggplant slices can be brushed with oil, lightly roasted, then put on top of
pizza. One of my favorite deep-dish pizzas contains eggplant chunks,
mushrooms, and meatballs.

I anticipate getting eggplant in my CSA boxes throughout the summer, so does
anybody else have great (and somewhat unusual) uses for eggplant?

Bob