Eggplant help?

[ArnieM]

I did a search on eggplant and came up empty.  I'd appreciate some suggestions if there's any out there.  Any recipes need not be done on a grill or the BS.

I planted a few "Asian type" eggplants.  They grow in clusters and range up to 7 or 8 inches in length and are very small in diameter.  I've done eggplant parm and fried 'em up in bread crumbs, but these were done with "standard size" eggplants.  These are quite small in comparison.  Any ideas?

Thanks.

[Caribou]

Hi Arnie,
This looked pretty good, it is a grilled recipe:
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/08/spicy-grilled-eggplant-recipe-with-red.html
Did you Google "Asian eggplant recipes" ? Quite a few come up.
Carolyn

[Hopefull Romantic]

Listen to Carolyne. She knows what she is doing.

HR

[Caribou]

Listen to Carolyne. She knows what she is doing.

HR

I do???
:D :D :D :D
Carolyn

[ArnieM]

Yes you do Carolyn!  It seems you have some solid support from HR.  And thanks for the link.  I've grilled "regular" eggplant many times but these things just look so little.  I'll get a picture up tomorrow morning if it's not raining yet.

[Caribou]

Yes you do Carolyn!  It seems you have some solid support from HR.  And thanks for the link.  I've grilled "regular" eggplant many times but these things just look so little.  I'll get a picture up tomorrow morning if it's not raining yet.

Thanks Arnie,
I know when I grill zucchini, I slice them about 1/4" lengthwise.
So, even with the little ones there is rarely a "man overboard" on the grill :D
I'll have to look around more for recipes. ;)
Carolyn

Edited to add:
another grilled Asian EP, with vodka :D
http://www.culinate.com/books/collections/all_books/Mastering+the+Grill/Grilled+Asian+Eggplant+with+Hoisin+and+Vodka
OK this is the "Egg Plant Recipe Database"! 3116 recipes!  This is the mother lode Arnie! :o
http://www.aubergines.org/recipes.php

[ArnieM]

You're more than welcome Carolyn.  I generally grill small zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise and wrapped in paper towels about 1/2 hour before grilling.  Then, I give them an OO rub and a light sprinkling of cumin and garlic powder on the cut side - no salt.  Grill cut side first to get some grill marks.  I usually do this while grilling a steak.

I planted zucchini seeds in a pot on the deck this year due to my deer problems.  Disaster.  Cute plants, nice flowers, no zucchini.  One friend said "That's because they're all males."  Well, hell, the seed pack didn't specify gender.  Another said they won't produce in a pot.  Maybe I'll just give up.

[Caribou]

I grilled zucchini tonight!
We have animal problems too and have our garden high-fenced.
I did have one zucchini plant this year that produced nothing but male flowers, too.
And it was in the ground :D
Maybe next year plant just a couple plants and make large cylinders (maybe 4' dia.) of welded 6' high fencing material to protect them.
Something you can move easily when you want to pick some.
Carolyn

[Hopefull Romantic]

You're more than welcome Carolyn.  I generally grill small zucchinis, cut in half lengthwise and wrapped in paper towels about 1/2 hour before grilling.  Then, I give them an OO rub and a light sprinkling of cumin and garlic powder on the cut side - no salt.  Grill cut side first to get some grill marks.  I usually do this while grilling a steak.

I planted zucchini seeds in a pot on the deck this year due to my deer problems.  Disaster.  Cute plants, nice flowers, no zucchini.  One friend said "That's because they're all males."  Well, hell, the seed pack didn't specify gender.  Another said they won't produce in a pot.  Maybe I'll just give up.

DONT give up. Planting anything teach perseverance. so please don't give up. You should plant them in ground and not in a pot. I did and never heard about sex issues when it comes to veg seeds. As for your deer problems, check out this link for a humane deer repellent which is also a great fun when you have friends over for dinner in the garden.

http://www2.yardiac.com/long.asp?item_id=885&tgs=33997417:27438935&cart_id=

HR

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the link HR.  Yep, that looks like a lot of fun OK  ;D

[Hopefull Romantic]

You are most welcome and you are right I have one and I got some serious laughing watching people caught by surprise.

HR

[ArnieM]

Hey Carolyn,

Thanks for the second recipe link.  The only flaw in it is - How much vodka should be consumed during the marinating and grilling process?  Well, I can probably work that out  ;D ;D

http://www.culinate.com/books/collections/all_books/Mastering+the+Grill/Grilled+Asian+Eggplant+with+Hoisin+and+Vodka

[ArnieM]

Here's the eggplant pictures I promised.

They're starting to look a bit "end-of-season" but some are really small.


This is where they live, along with some Thai peppers.

[Caneyscud]

You have a green thumb there Arnie - even your Bradley sprouted legs under it's skirt? ;D ;D

Tell you what I've done a couple of times in the last month.  

Sort of a take off on moussaka  - a long way from moussaka, but I was thinking about it.  So far this has been a throw together dish, not one I've measured anything.  But it turns out really good.  It's not low fat, low cholesterol - but might be low carb!

Olive oil to cook onions
Package of ground chuck between 1.25 and 1.5 pounds (what I had at the time)
2 medium onions chopped
Probably 4 or 5 of the larger sizes of your eggplant - diced 1/4 inch skins and all
I think I threw in some zucchini also
Half of a green pepper diced
Some jalepeno diced real small
Two or three roma tomatoes
Block of cream cheese
Cheddar Cheese
Parm cheese

Spices:
salt
Pepper
Italian blend
lots of granulated garlic
little of powdered rosemary

In skillet
Start with oil/green peppers/onion/jalepeno - cook about 1/2 through
Add ground beef - cook a little while
Add eggplant and zucchini
When ground beef is browned and the eggplant looks done throw in the cream cheese and the tomatoes and the spices and turn down heat
Mix together and heat through until cream cheese is melted
Top with a couple of handfuls (I've got big hands) of cheddar and half a cup or more of Parm
Stick under broiler until melted or cover until melted
Serve


No reason you couldn't add a little tomato sauce or paste or ketchup or some mushroom.  
Or no reason after the onions/peppers/eggplant isn't cooked a little you couldn't mix it all together like a meat loaf and smoke it either!

[ArnieM]

Thanks for the 'recipe' Caneyscud.  It sounds good.  I see we like the same recipe style.  When it's 'done', I'm lucky to remember what I put in, let alone how much of it.  I've made the same dish many times and I'm not sure if any came out the same.  I've never grown & cooked these eggplants before, so I want to do at least one eggplant where I can actually taste the eggplant - maybe just grilled with a little OO.

I did shrimp scampi last week.  My basic recipe is here http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=11351.msg126013#msg126013.  In this last case, I added 6 or 7 baby bella mushrooms, sliced into thirds.  My wife's (thoroughly) Italian girlfriend really loved it.  :D

Thanks again.  I really like eggplant so I'm collecting up all of these recipes.