This recipe, instead of being my favorite, although I like it very much, is the one I think is most apt to be by just about anyone except for vegetarians.

The name is Greek for "little shoes", which describes the eggplant halves, filled with a mixture of chopped eggplant, ground meat, sauce and seasonings, then roasted. I like to roast them covered in a Weber type grill for the smoky flavor, but they are very good done in a regular oven.

PAPOUTSAKIAS

3 medium eggplants
1 lb ground beef or ground lamb
1 (16 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic clove
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
basil
salt and pepper

Cut eggplants in half lengthwise.

Scoop out flesh of eggplants using a large spoon, leaving 1/2 inch of thickness to the shells (four halves are to be stuffed, the third eggplant is for extra flesh).

Smear four shells with olive oil and roast, flesh side down, on grill or in 400 degree F oven until lightly brown, about 10 minutes.
While the shells roast, brown the meat in a LARGE skillet, about 10 minutes.

Remove meat and set aside.
Meanwhile, chop eggplant flesh coarsely and the garlic finely.

Add olive oil to the skillet and cook the chopped eggplant and garlic until the eggplant is well done and soft, about 30 minutes.

Add all ingredients, except shells, to the skillet and cook until everything is nicely combined, about 10 minutes.

Fill the shells with the mixture.

Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Roast until bubbly and brown, about 10 minutes.

Jim

Karen:
I just picked up one this morning. I'm going to make Eggplant Parmesan.

It is very easy,
Mix some Parmesan and Garlic Powder , into italian bread crumbs. You can add other spices of choice.

Slice the Eggplant about, one quarter inch thickness.

Dip into some beaten eggs and then into the Bread Crumb mix.

Lay them on a Foil lined cookie sheet.

Bake in a 350 deg. oven, 5 minutes on each side.

Now you can use them to make Parmesan or Lasagne.

I use a double layer for Parmesan.

Lay one on some Spaghgetti Sauce add some chopped simmered Sausage and a slice of Provolone.
Make another layer put some sauce on top, a sprinkle of Parmesan and a slice of Prolone.

Spoon some Sauce on top and Bake for about 20 minutes or until tender.

The slices can be also used for Lasagne. I lay the slices on some sauce in a pyrex baking dish, making layers.

Using a Ricotta mixture. Add a beaten egg to a pound of Ricotta along with Parsley and Parmesan.
Make layers using Green Peppers , Chopped, simmered Sausage
and ground meat,Provolone and Pasta Sauce.
Bake about 25 minutes, test for doneness.
Save some for me.
LOU

Last summer I found this Roasted Ratatouille recipe and have made it several times since then. I peel my eggplant and add an extra clove or two of garlic. This is good by itself, room temp or warm. It would be good topping a pizza or made into a sandwich, panini, or bruschetta. I have also mixed in a little tomato sauce and put it over pasta.

Teresa

Here is a link that might be useful: Roasted Ratatouille at FrenchFood.about

I make a vegetarian Eggplant Parmesan:

Eggplant Parmigiana

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants (select ones that are long and somewhat narrow)
Kosher salt
Flour, for coating
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
1-1/2 cups Panko or dry breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp cayenne
Canola or grape seed oil, for deep frying
1 pound Mozzarella
1/4 pound sharp Provolone
1/4 pound Parmesan cheese

Sauce:
2 cups (16 oz.) prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Slice the eggplant into 3/8" thick rounds and place in a large bowl with a large amount of salt, enough to coat all cut sides. You can toss the slices in the bowl if it has a cover to get the salt more evenly distributed. Then place the slices in a colander or other large pan (such as a steaming basket) with the slices vertical, and allow it to drain for at least an hour. I usually allow two hours for this. When sufficient water has drained from the slices, remove them from the colander and wipe off the excess salt with a brush or towel, and dry the pieces with a clean towel if they are very damp. Note: Do not leave overnight!

While the eggplant is draining, add the basil, olive oil, and garlic to the tomato sauce for extra flavor. It is not necessary to cook the sauce at this point. Prepare the mozzarella by cutting it into fairly thin slices, and grate the Provolone and Parmesan.

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 375 degrees and have a platter ready with paper towels for draining. Place about a cup of flour in a bowl for dipping, and mix the breadcrumbs with the cayenne in another bowl. Blend the eggs with the 2 tbsp water in a third bowl, and place the bowls in a row for coating. Prepare each slice by first lightly coating it with flour (shake off excess flour), dipping in egg, and finally in the breadcrumb mixture. Deep-fry each slice in the oil until lightly golden on both sides and then drain on paper towels.

When all the slices have been fried, get an 8"x13" (or equivalent) glass or ceramic baking dish and brush olive oil on the bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Spread a very thin layer of pasta sauce in the bottom of the baking dish, and then place a layer of eggplant over that. Put a small amount of tomato sauce over each slice and then a slice of mozzarella over each piece, and sprinkle a bit of Provolone and Parmesan over that layer. Repeat this process until the baking dish is full, but do not overfill. The final layer will be tomato sauce with no cheese. I prefer to have all the cheese between the layers of eggplant, but you can put some on top as well.

Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Lars

And don't forgt baba ganouj, one of my favorites:

Baba Ganouj

1 eggplant
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup parsley sprigs, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons green onion, minced
black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut off the stem ends of the eggplant and prick it all over with a fork. Place it directly on an oven rack and let it roast until completely pooped (about 45 minutes). When it is sagging, wrinkled, crumpled, and totally soft, you'll know it's ready. Remove it from the oven, and let cool.

Scoop the insides out and mash well. Combine with rest of ingredients, except olive oil. Chill well. Drizzle the oil over the top before serving. Serve with assorted crackers.

NUTRITION:
46 calories, 3g fat, 4g carbohydrates, 1g protein per serving. This recipe is low in sodium. This recipe is low in carbs.

I also have this Tyler Florence recipe saved, I haven't tried it but it sounded really good to Elery:

Szechuan Eggplant Stir-fry

5 Asian eggplants, about 2 pounds
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced on a diagonal
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 fresh red chile, sliced
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Thai basil and fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Cut the eggplants in 1/2 lengthwise and then slice crosswise into wedges, no more than 1-inch wide.

Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high flame and add the oils; tilt the pan to coat all sides. When you see a slight smoke, add a layer of eggplant, stir-fry until seared and sticky, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the eggplant to a side platter and cook the remaining eggplant in same manner, adding more oil, if needed.

After all the eggplant is out of the pan, add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chile; stir-fry for a minute until fragrant. Add the broth. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the wok and cook another minute, until the sauce has thickened. Put the eggplant back in the pan, tossing quickly, until the sauce is absorbed. Garnish with sesame seeds, Thai basil, and cilantro and serve.

And, of course, Grandma just sliced them, salted them and let them drain, then dipped them into an eggwash, rolled them in seasoned flour and fried them in butter.

I just picked my first one last night and have a couple more that are growing nicely.

Annie

Karen,

I thought it might help get the concept of papoutsakia across better if I could show you a picture, so i found the images linked below. Also, I found that papoutsakias are frequently made with a topping of bechamel sauce, although mine are not. But that explains the appearance of some of the images.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Papoutsakia Images

Karen, and don't forget to try them plain fried. We've been getting some just picked ones too and I usually take at least the first one and just fry it. I mix some salt, garlic powder and little onion powder into the flour. Then I just peel and slice the eggplant into slices a little more than half an inch thick. I heat a little oil in a pan, letting it get quite hot. You want a quick fry. Then while oil is heating I press the slices into the flour, shake them off and lay on a cutting board. By now the oil is hot and I just fry them off until nice and brown on one side.. flip once. Drain on a paper towel covered plate, salt and eat. We've been having this for a meal at least once a week lately.

Grilled Zucchini and Eggplant Sandwich with Chipotle Mayonnaise

One of my own concoctions built out of necessity. This makes one big sandwich.

Ingredients
1/2 zucchini, slice the half zucchini lengthwise, should make 4 slices.
1 (or 2) small eggplant (s), sliced lengthwise, should make 3-6 slices.
2 pieces of toast, or toasted roll
1 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp Greek yogurt, plain
1/2 to 1 tsp chipotle pepper, ground
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Directions
Mix the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt and chipotle pepper in a small bowl and set aside or cover and put in the refrigerator.
Take the zucchini and eggplant (you may want to salt the eggplant 1/2 hour ahead of time to make them sweat. If your eggplant is fresh out of the garden it�s probably not necessary. If you do remember to rinse the slices off before grilling), brush with olive oil and light salt and pepper.
Put on a preheated grill. Grill heat should be medium. Cook for 4 minutes. Flip. Oil, salt, and pepper other side and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Take off the grill.
Take toasted bread or rolls and slather with chipotle mayonnaise. Layer zucchini, add more chipotle mayonnaise, layer eggplant. Eat and enjoy.

Link to the Eggplant Cookalong

Inlcuded is my fav, cold spiced eggplant

Here is a link that might be useful: Eggplant

I like them best fried with tomato sauce on the side.

You can turn them into Eggplant Parmesan but I usually don't bother. They are crispier with the sauce on the side and reheat better plain. If you want cheese sprinkle some on top.

And my favorite:

CAPONATA

1 Medium Eggplant, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 1/2 Tablespoon Pickling Salt
2 Large Tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Medium Sweet Red Pepper, diced
1 Cup diced Zucchini
1 Cup Chopped Onion
3 large Garlic Cloves, Minced
1/2 Cup chopped stuffed Green Olives
1 Tablespoon Capers
1 Bay Leaf
1 Teaspoon Fresh Thyme
Salt and freshly ground Pepper
1/3 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
2 Teaspoons Granulated Sugar
2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

Place Eggplant in a nonreactive bowl and sprinkle with the Pickling Salt and stir well. Let stand for 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well. Drain thoroughly and press out excess moisture.

Place Eggplant, Tomatoes, Red Pepper, Zucchini, Onion, Garlic, Olives, Capers Bay leaf, Thyme Salt and Pepper in a large roasting pan. Heat Vinegar, Sugar and Oil in microwave until hot stir into Vegetables. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 1 1/2 hours until Vegetables are softened and liquid has evaporated, stirring every 20 minutes. Remove from the oven discard Bay Leaf and stir in Tomato Paste.

This is excellent as a topping for Bruscetta, or with the addition of a bit more Tomato, as a topping for Pasta. A squeeze of Lemon Juice and some of the Zest really helps to brighten up the flavors.

Steve

I am guilty of being a "cooking forum voyeur" for so long; I only post when in need of help. And I have received the best help here, thank you all.

My problem with this post is.....who has mapquest directions to Hawk307s, publickmans, and coconutnjs houses (j/k lol)....3 homes in a day!! *Jimster and Teresa look yummy but I never tried.*

Lou replied first and he's one of my faves. I have 6-7 tried and true recipes from him so I recommend his first. But if you all wanna have a taste test contest,count me in!!!

Eggplant to me is summer fun, whether grilled, baked or deep fried!!

Every recipe here sounds great but I had to choose the best ones!!

FAB recipes!
I got overwhelmed with the traditional black beauties (on one plant) last year and opted for the smaller asian varieties for this year.
LOVE LOVE LOVE them so much more! I can have them grilled with zuchini a couple of times a week without being overdone with eggplant! Also, they seem to be less bitter and you don't have to do all the salting business to de-bitterize them. (we don't use salt!)
I just love them saute'd with zuk, onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes (notice, all from the garden?)and maybe some cheese if you're feeling frisky! LOL Yummy stuff! Nancy

Thank you everyone for the fast response to my request. I am at my daughters house to watch the kids today. I went last night so I haven't had time to respond. Once again, I have many recipes to try and I can't wait until I get home today to select one for tonight.

Thanks again everyone. You are the best!

Karen

cathrugg:
Thank you very much.

I didn-t know you cared. LOL!!!
Lou

cathrugg, you've got a long drive. I believe Lou is in Pennsylvania, coconut in New Jersey and I know Lars is in California.

So, depending on where you are, you might want to start at one end and drive to the other!

Annie

Fried is my favorete way to prepare eggplant.
Peel & slice, about 1/4" slices.
Not too thick,
and not too thin.
Sprinkle lightly with salt,
Place in colander
(Or on a rack, or paper towels)
and let drain 30 minutes to an hour.
Pat slices dry.
Dip into an egg & milk mixture,
Then into very fine corn flake crumbs.
Fry in hot oil (turning once)
Until brown & crispy on both sides.
I prefer without any added seasonings,
But I imagine garlic, pepper, whatever,
Would be good if you like it.

I've also made Moussaka which was fantastic.
It's a rather long, time consuming dish,
But well worth every ninute.
Trouble is, I don't remember which cookbook
I got the recipe from,
And haven't been able to find it this morning.
There is a Moussaka recipe
on the eggplant cook a long thread.
Mine used ground beef rather than lamb.
But I think the rest of it was pretty similar.

Now my curiousity is aroused!
This afternoon will probably be spent looking through a gazillion cookbooks for that recipe!

Rusty

Here's the recipe I have in my file for Moussaka.

Moussaka

Moussaka is one of the world's classic dishes. The Moussaka here is pretty much Greek, and quite traditional. Variations on this basic dish are found all over the Mediterranean world. Moussaka is not a hard dish to prepare, given a certain level of technical skill. Before you start, print the recipe, and read it carefully. Get all the ingredients and tools together, and plan to devote the needed time to the job, at least an hour, and probably a bit more. It is well worth the effort, a good Moussaka is wonderful eating and very, very impressive to serve.
A Moussaka is constructed out of three parts that need prior preparation: fried eggplant, a white sauce and a tomato meat sauce, and also bread crumbs and cheese.
The Eggplant
� 3 Medium eggplants, peel, slice 2/3 in. thick, salt and let drain for 1/2 hour while you prepare the white sauce and start the red sauce. Then dry eggplant and shake in a bag with flour and a good grind of black pepper. Brown in a bit of hot olive oil. Be careful with the amount of oil, and use only enough to brown a few slices at a time. The eggplant will absorb an amazing amount of oil if you let it, and things can become very greasy indeed. Drain the eggplant and reserve.
White Sauce
In a saucepan over medium heat mix together:
� 6 Tbl Butter
� 6 Tbl flour

Whisk for a couple minutes until well blended, add:
� 3 cups milk

Gently bring to a boil, stirring, and simmer couple minutes. Whisk a cup or so of this mixture into:
� 3 eggs, well beaten

Whisk the egg mixture back into the white sauce and bring up to a gentle simmer, whisking until thick. Do not boil, or sauce will scramble. Add:
� Good grating of nutmeg
� dash Tabasco Sauce

Let White Sauce cool. It should be quite thick. Note that the white sauce can be prepared a day ahead of time and refrigerated.
Red Sauce
Brown well together in heavy frying pan:
� 2 Tbl olive oil
� 1 1/2 lb ground lamb.

Drain grease. Add:
� large onion, chopped
� 3 cloves garlic, chopped

Saute around until onion limp. Add:
� 8 oz. can tomato sauce
� 1/2 tsp cinnamon
� tsp dried leaf oregano
� Tbl chopped parsley
� Tbl chopped mint
� bit of salt and pepper

Simmer gently until quite thick. The red sauce can be prepared well ahead of time, and keeps well refrigerated.
To assemble the Moussaka
The parts of the Moussaka are:
� Eggplant
� White Sauce
� Red Sauce
� 1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs
� 2 cups Mozzarella or other white cooking cheese
� 1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, optional

Use a good sized casserole with a cover. Put about 1/3 of the eggplant on the bottom in a solid layer. Trim eggplant to fit. Spread 1/2 of the meat mixture on top. Spread 1/3 of white sauce over meat. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese, 1/3 cup of crumbs. Repeat this set of layers. Then put in a layer of the rest of the eggplant, the rest of the white sauce and cover with the rest of the crumbs. Garnish top with a sprinkle of red chile or paprika and an small handful of chopped parsley. Cover, and bake at 350 degrees for an hour, uncover and bake until browned on top and bubbly. Serve Moussaka with a green salad, good bread and a bottle of light red wine. Greek Retsina wine is an acquired taste, but quite wonderful with Moussaka.

rusty, I like eggplant that way too, and it's how Grandma always made it, except that she used a mix of seasoned flour and cornmeal instead of cornflakes. I'm relatively sure that we wouldn't have normally had cornflakes on hand.

She did it the same way she did fried green tomatoes.

Annie

Around here, we all love eggplant: breaded and fried, in ratatouille, and in chunks added to a pasta sauce.

I thought I posted Eggplant Rollantini on last years's Cookalong thread, but I see I didn't, so here it is now. A couple years ago, DH and DS drove to Philadelphia to attend a Phillies game and later had dinner at an Italian restaurant in South Philly. They came home raving about the Rollantini they'd eaten, so I tried to reproduce it at home. I added spinach to this recipe, because that's how it was described to me.

Eggplant Rollantini (Cooks.com)

2 med. eggplant
Seasoned bread crumbs
4 eggs
2 tbsp. milk
Vegetable oil
1 lg. container Ricotta cheese
[Spinach]
1 pkg. mozzarella, grated
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Basil
Spaghetti sauce

Peel eggplant. Slice long way as thin as possible. Mix together 2 eggs and milk. Dip eggplant in egg mix, then bread crumbs. Place on greased cookie sheet, dribble oil on top of eggplant. Place under broiler until brown, turning once. (Can also be fried if desired.) Repeat process until all eggplant is browned.

Mix together ricotta, [spinach,] mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 eggs and season to taste. Place eggplant on flat surface. Put approximately 2 tablespoons cheese mix on eggplant and roll. Cover bottom of lasagne pan with sauce. Stack rolled eggplant in pan. Cover with sauce. Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Serve immediately.

Sue

I just replicated a roasted vegetable melange per instructions of a Greek neighbor of mine who brought some of the stuff to me several months ago. It's awesome.

Her words: "Don't skimp on the garlic or olive oil"

So I didn't LOL

Large shallow roasting pan. Preheat oven to 425F

Cut into equal sized pieces:

Eggplant - 2 (she said to buy the striped ones but I've never seen them so to avoid the issue with bitterness I used 2 Japanese eggplant).
Zuchinni - 2 medium-large
Red/yellow/orange bell peppers - 1 each
Sweet onions - 2

Generously salt and pepper the veggies - toss in roasting pan with several generous swigs of EVOO and about 1/2 head of minced fresh garlic - a few long sprigs of fresh thyme and a few long sprigs of fresh oregano (I had these in my garden but I think dried herbs would do fine).

Roast at 425 for about 1/2 hour, stir and roast 1/2 hour again or more...

Then add canned tomatoes (she said she used a large can and crushed the whole tomatoes with her hands) but I had a box of POMI chopped tomatoes - so that's what I used.

Keep roasting - stir occasionally but cook at least 1/2 hour or longer until the juices are thick.

Makes a great sauce for short rigatoni.

When I ate it the first time, I asked her if she added sugar or maybe sundried tomaoes but she said "no". Since I tried it myself, I realize the sweetness comes from the addition of the canned crushed whole tomatoes.

I might add capers the next time...Now I have to persuade her to tell me how to make the feta mac & cheese (my words) that she brought with the roasted veg.

So rare that anyone cooks for me. It's such a treat.

seagrass

Annie, I don't know how, why or where
I came up with using corn flake crumbs.
My mother never made eggplant, so I can't blame her. :>)
I probably saw it in a magazine or cookbook somewhere.

Now I'm wanting to try your cormeal coating
And cocnut-nj's flour method.

Rusty

I just wanted to add that when I'm using my own eggplants or from a nearby stand and they're not overgrown and super fresh, I don't salt and have no problems with bitterness at all. I mostly only salt in the winter. Yesterday I had 4 smallish ones and I baked them and took out the flesh. Most of it I'm saving for babaganouj, but I put about a half in some leftover spaghetti sauce I had for lunch. My tahini came in today's mail....ooo.. so excited. Can't wait. I might be having a midnight snack. Not going to make Naan today but I do have some great Italian half torps I can slice and make into a quick toast for it.

Favorite eggplant recipe hands down-ratatouille. Many variations.

Next favorite, and dead simple, is roasted eggplant dip.

Roast the eggplant however you can. I usually peel it, slice it into thick rounds, salt it for about 15 min., rinse and then spread with olive oil and roast in the oven. I guess it can be wrapped in tinfoil and done on the grill but I'm not fussing with that. Now that I have a gas grill I may try that, grilling the eggplant slabs.

Once you have done that, put the eggplant, and a small jar of drained roasted red peppers in the food processor. Yes, you can roast your own red pepper too, instead if you want. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and one or two cloves of garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth. Serve with toasted pita chips. Add tahini to make it have more calories and you can call it baba ganuj.

I like eggplant parm, but it's kinda something you usually cook BIG... for several people. Cooking for one... not such a great idea, unless you like eating left-overs for days. But I've kinda modified the recipe.

I like to peel first... personal preference. Then egg, bread crumbs and shallow fry till brown and crispy. Then I make a stack... sauce in baking dish, EP, hunka mozz, another slice of EP... 2-3 slices high. Use toothpicks thru stack or they'll slide apart when cheese melts.

I took a cooking class in NYC a few years back - we went to Green Market then cooked from what was Fresh from the market. We made an Eggplant Salad and I took notes... I tried to recreate it the other day, but I used a food processor on it (directions from another recipe) and I turned it into dip. Not bad, but better chopped. Sorry I don't have amounts.

Eggplant Salad
From Natural Gourmet Institute for Food and Health; Peter Berley Sumer Market Menu Class
Eggplant
Scallions
Fresh ground cumin
Cilantro
Lemon juice
salt
Plain yogurt

Roast eggplant until skin is charred. (We roasted over open flame on gas range). Place in covered bowl for eggplant to cool. Remove skins and chop. If not all the eggplant is soft, then can saut� it to soften. Saut� scallions and fresh ground cumin in olive oil. Chop cilantro, and add all to the eggplant. Add salt and lemon juice. Stir in plain yogurt and fresh ground pepper.

Imam Baldi is super easy and delicious.

Here is a link that might be useful: Recipe

I just posted for help with a question regarding freezing cooked pasta. Everyone was so helpful, I thought maybe I could return the favor with my all time favorite eggplant recipe. It is an appetizer, very easy and a HIT everywhere I take it. You can get eggplant into anyone with this recipe!

Roasted Garlic Eggplant Appetizer

One eggplant, size your choice - do not peel
Peeled garlic cloves - amount varies
Olive Oil
Salt

Lightly oil a baking sheet with olive oil
Split eggplant lengthwise and lightly coat with olive oil on all sides.

Place enough peeled garlic cloves on the sheet to approximate the size of the eggplant halves (two mounds of garlic, but in a single layer). Very lightly drizzle garlic with olive oil and a bit of salt to taste.

Place eggplant halves, cut side down on top of garlic, tucking any stray cloves so all are under the eggplant. Bake uncovered at 375 until the eggplant is very, very tender, almost squishy. You want the garlic to have some carmelizing, but not too much and you want the insides of the eggplant to be spreadable.

Remove from oven and let cool for a minute. Slide a metal spatula under the garlic, then flip halves right side up onto serving plate. Serve warm with firm crackers (my preference is a round water type cracker - Trader Joe's Whole Grain or Regular Pita Crackers are great- not the pita chips) or sliced baguette, scooping a bit of eggplant and garlic together, spreading with a spreader.

Enjoy!

Oooo....I am glad to see this thread. Olychick...ohmy. I have tons of garlic coming on, I'm going to have to pick up an eggplant, mine is just blooming.

Last year I had lots of Asian eggplants and lots of garlic so I poked garlic into the eggplant and roasted, then froze them for baba ganouj. They froze really well and it was easy.

Nancy, we like the Asian varieties, too. They grow much better for me. We're trying an early 'regular' eggplant for parmigiana, though I did try making mini parmigianas. Once.

I've had great luck with Fairy Tale hybrid eggplant here in zone 4 central Wisconsin. I'm growing Dusky this year and it's doing good. Was preoccupied & didn't get FT seeds started so I was stuck w/ whatever was available and that happened to be Dusky.

Also, another tip that I discovered accidentally...DSII thought we needed curb appeal so he dug up a small plot around the mailbox 2-3 years ago. It was late in the planting season so I was kinda' desperate as to what to plant out there. Nothing much in the way of annuals were left at the gardening centers. Managed to find some Vinca and tossed in a couple of eggplant starters that I had left over. The Vinca & eggplant loved it out there...all that pavement provides that extra bit of heat that they love. And, Fairy Tale, esp. is really, really pretty once it starts setting those lovely little purple & white fruits.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fairy Tale Eggplant