This is a well known dish on the Spanish island of Mallorca and one that most women there know how to make.

Tumbet - Ratatouille from Mallorca

Ingredients:

Sauce:
4 TBS olive oil
4 medium sized ripe tomatoes, blanched, skinned and chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 teasp salt

The rest:
2 medium eggplant - if young and tender - leave skins on, otherwise peel. Slice into rounds 1/4 inch thick. Put immediately in bowl of salted water to prevent turning brown.
4 medium potatoes - peeled or not as you like, also sliced 1/4 inch thick.
5 Italian (mild) green frying peppers - seeded and cut into bit-sized pieces
3 cloves garlic - smashed
a sprig of chopped flatleaf parsley
oil for frying - I use sunflower oil
clean newspaper and kitchen towels

Sauce -
Put the 4 TBS olive oil in a small frying pan and heat. Add chopped tomatoes, onion and salt. Simmer about 20 minutes or until thick and jammy looking.

The Rest -
1) Fill large frying pan with about 1/2 inch oil. When hot but not smoking add 1/3 the amount of potatoes. When golden, remove and drain on paper towel-covered newspapers.
2) Continue with the rest of the potatoes - cooking them in two more batches, letting oil heat up again between batches.
3) When potatoes are all done put peppers into hot oil along with garlic cloves and fry until toasted. Remove along with garlic to paper.
4) Drain and pat dry the rounds of eggplant and put them into hot oil and fry in 3 batches -

This is also good served at room temperature and the next day.

SharonCb

I made a simple and delicious dish the other night. Made it up so no real amounts....
Roasted Eggplant with Feta and Pasta

Need Eggplant, Feta, Can of diced tomatoes, Pasta (I used Penne), Basil, Olive Oil.

Preheat oven to 400.

Take feta cheese out of fridge to come to room temp. Crumble.

Chop an eggplant into about 1 1/2 inch pieces (leave skin on). Put on large baking sheet in one layer and toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and some salt.

Roast for 10-15 minutes then take a spatula and move around and turn. Roast a bit longer. Take a can of diced tomatoes and drain. Push the eggplant to one side of the baking sheet and put the tomatoes on the other end and spread out. Roast longer. When the tomatoes are dried and beginning to brown remove pan from oven.

In a large bowl, toss the roasted eggplant and dried tomatoes with pasta that you began cooking while the eggplant was roasting. Add more olive oil and toss in the feta and some fresh basil and pepper and rosemary.

could also add some black olives, italian sausage, mushrooms......

possibilites are endless....

Grace

Here are a few recipes I make with eggplant.

CAPONATA

1/2 cup olive oil
3 cups diced eggplant (3/8" cubes), about 1 medium
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 cup celery in 1/4" slices
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes or 1 can diced tomatoes
3 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
12 small stuffed green olives, sliced into thirds
12 black olives, pitted and sliced into thirds
1/4 cup small capers, drained
3 Tbs. sugar
1/4 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup lightly packed minced parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the eggplant and saute several minutes until partially soft. Add the onions, celery, Tomatoes and garlic and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, add the remaining ingredients, and toss lightly. Chill until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature. Notes: Chopped anchovies can also be added. Diced zucchini can be substituted for half of the eggplant. Diced yellow peppers make a colorful addition.

EGGPLANT CAVIAR Â makes about 5 cups

4 large eggplants
1 Tbs. kosher salt
1 cup EV olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Halve eggplants, lengthwise, score with a knife, and sprinkle lightly with the kosher salt. Cover with a heavy plate and weigh down the plate to press out the moisture for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375. Oil a baking sheet.

Squeeze out any excess water from the eggplants. Place the eggplant halves, skin sides up, on the baking sheet. Bake until the meat is completely soft, 35 to 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.

When cool enough to handle, skin the eggplants. Chop the pulp and tie in a large square of dampened cheesecloth. Let hang above the sink or a bowl until most of the liquid has drained off, about 15 minutes. (Note: I sometimes just drain the eggplant mixture in a colander instead of the cheesecloth.)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper. Add the eggplant pulp and stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate for one day before serving. Serve with breadsticks or pita chips.

EGGPLANT SOUP (serves 10-12)

2 TBL olive oil
2 TBL butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb lean ground chuck
1 medium eggplant, peeled & cubed
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup finely sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
Two 16 oz cans whole tomatoes
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup macaroni
2 TBL minced parsley
Parmesan for garnish

Heat the oil & butter in a 6-8 qt Dutch oven. Add the onion & saute until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Add the meat & cook, stirring until it begins to brown. Add the eggplant, garlic, carrots, celery, tomatoes (break up the tomatoes), broth, nutmeg, sugar, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover & simmer 2 1/2 hours.
10-15 minutes before serving, add the macaroni & parsley to the soup & simmer until the macaroni is tender. Serve hot sprinkled with Parmesan.~~

Recipe from Ginger @ Recipe Exchange

Here is the traditional Russian Eggplant Caviar recipe that we love. I serve it with black pumpernickle and unsalted butter and it is just TDF.

Eggplant caviar From Kyras Secrets of Russian Cooking

1 large eggplant
1 large onion, chopped very fine
1 small can tomato paste
1 green pepper chopped very fine
1 tsp vinegar (or slightly more)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tsp powdered sugar (or more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste

Bake the eggplant until tender. When cool, skin it and chop very fine. Saute onion and pepper in 1 tbsp of olive oil. Add tomato paste and simmer 4-5 minutes, add in the remaining oil. Add vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and chopped eggplant. Cook very slowly over low heat for 20 minutes, adding more oil if needed. Remove from heat and put in a container in the refrigerator. Serve very cold with thin sliced black pumpernickel and unsalted butter.

I have made this several times and love it. It is a Giada recipe. It also freezes well if you have an abundance of eggplant:

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, whole
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1 pound rigatoni pasta
1/4 cup torn fresh mint leaves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine the eggplant, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Spread the vegetables out in an even layer on the baking sheet. Roast in the oven until the vegetables are tender and the eggplant is golden, about 35 minutes.

While the vegetables are roasting, place the pine nuts in a small baking dish. Place in the oven on the rack below the vegetables. Roast until golden, about 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and reserve.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add the torn mint leaves and extra-virgin olive oil. Puree the vegetables.

Transfer the pureed vegetables to the bowl with the pasta and add the Parmesan. Stir to combine, adding the pasta cooking liquid 1/2 cup at a time until the pasta is saucy. Sprinkle the pine nuts over the top and serve.

I never use the parchment, mint or pine nuts.

Ratatouille is the greatest thing to do with eggplant.
One eggplant
2 med. zuchinnis
5 med. homegrown tomatoes
one large or two small onions, white or red
garlic to taste
basil to taste, lots of it
sautee in olive oil.
I half peel my eggplant if the peel is thin, that's peel every other strip.

I also make roasted eggplant dip as a spread for brushetta and crackers at parties.

Peel the eggplant. Slice into rounds, about 3/4 inch think. Salt and pepper and baste with a thin coating of olive oil. Place on a cookie tray. Roast or broil in the oven. Roast at 400. I don't broil, it's too easy to burn, but you could maybe grill these, I dunno I don't have a grill. If you do try broiling, do it on low and well away from the heating element. Turn over halfway throught the cooking time. Takes maybe 10 min. on each side when roasting.

When eggplant are soft and cool after you take them out of the oven, put in a food processor with a drained jar of roasted red peppers. Process to a smooth puree. Salt and pepper to taste. I guess you could add other things like garlic, lemon and tahini for a proper baba ganoush, but I like it just plain and simple the best.

Oh dear....
Slice them 1# inch thick, salt liberally and let drain for about an hour.
Rinse and pat dry....dip into beaten egg and then into flour and fry in butter and oil mix...
When brown, salt and eat!!!
Guaranteed not rubbery!
Linda C

Slice 1/3 inch thick.

Wish I saw this before finishing my 5-lb bag eggplants. I love eggplants so much that I would eat it just stir fries. Lovely recipes!

After all is tried and tested, I love eggplant just plain ole' roasted with EVOO, rosemary, and salt.

Cathy, I agree, just sliced and roasted with olive oil, salt, lots of black pepper, it's yummy.

I also like baba ganouj, this recipe is from Eating Well and uses some of that powdered sumac I bought to make Lars' Algerian chicken. When Elery is here he will grill the vegetables for me, otherwise I just stick 'em in the oven. They are better grilled but good roasted too.

Baba Ganouj

2 medium eggplants, (about 1 pound each)
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons tahini, (see Note)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish
Ground sumac, for garnish

Preheat grill to high. Prick eggplants all over with a fork. Thread garlic cloves onto a skewer. Grill the eggplants, turning occasionally, until charred and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Grill the garlic, turning once, until charred and tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the eggplants and garlic to a cutting board. When cool enough to handle, peel both. Transfer to a food processor. Add lemon juice, tahini and salt; process until almost smooth. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sumac, if desired.

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Annie

Oy, I left out green peppers in the ratatouille recipe. You should add two or three green peppers to that recipe, depending on size. I knew I was forgetting something but it didn't come to me yesterday! Eggplant, zuchinni, tomatoes, basil and green peppers, the classic late summer garden medley and the classic ratatouille.

Open lid, toss into compost bin. (LOL! sorry, I couldn't resist...)

I have never had eggplant prepared in any way that can make me like it. I wish I could because it looks so good!

Linda

Last year I had a very small white eggplant so did an appetizer-sized ratatouille ala smitten kitchen. Thought the kids would turn up their noses, instead they inhaled the whole thing before DH got home to sample any. I think the crushed tomatoes made a difference, they were an import brand in a lurpak box. Anyway, it was a beautiful and yummy dish.

Thank for all the wonderful recipes!

I tried Grace's because I have one of those Costco containers of feta cheese. It was so easy and delicious - the eggplant is actually creamy :)

Still have two other eggplants left, so will work my way through the others, which are printed off.

This thread interests me because I like eggplant but only when it is hard and chewy. A "creamy" eggplant is yucky to me.
I bread and oven fry eggplant often but I think I'm going to switch to pan frying so I can make it faster and still keep the eggplant firm as it sometimes becomes way too soft oven fried.