Of course, we don't know your old ways of using it. So there may be repititions. :>)

Eggplant is like tofu, in that it is pretty bland on its own, but it soaks up the flavors of things cooked with it. As such, it's pretty versitile.

Here's a recipe we make fairly often:

Sichuan Fried Eggplant

1 eggplant, about a pound
2 cups oil

Batter:
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup water

Sauce:
1 tbls peanut oil
1 tbls fresh gginger, finely chopped
3 tbls scallions, finely chopped
2 tsp chili bean sauce
2/3 cup stock
2 tbls Sherry
1 tbls cider vinegar
3 tbls tomato paste
2 tsp sugar
2 tbls soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water

Cut eggplant into thin slices. Do not peel.

For batter, mix the flour, salt and water in a small bowl. Let sit for 20 minutes.

For sauce, heat pan until hot and add 1 tbls oil. Put in the scallions, ginger, and chili bean sauce. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add the stock, Sherry, vinegar, tomato paste, sugar and soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute. Thicken sauce with blended cornstarch. Cook another minute. Set aside, but keep warm.

Heat oil until hot. Dip eggplant slces into batter, letting excess drip off. Deep fry until brown and crisp on both sides. Drain well on paper towels.

Arrange slices on a platter. Pour sauce over eggplant and serve.+

We love eggplant too. It is wonderful sliced thin, breaded and deep fried. You can just eat them that way or use the breaded slices to make Eggplant Lasagna. I like to stack them and make

Or you can make make

It is also wonderful brushed with olive oil and garlic and grilled and served as part of an antipasto plate.

We grow the small Japanese eggplant and I like to roast it and top it with some balsamic vinegar. Also stir fry or roast it, mix with caramelized onions and put it over pasta.

This is one of my favorite salad to pack for lunch.

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
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.
The following recipe was from a community cookbook in our area:

EGGPLANT SZECHUAN STYLE

3 Chinese eggplants (about 1 lb., approx. 10 inch long slender ones work best)
2 cloves garlic, diced
2 scallions, diced
2 slices of ginger, diced
1 Tbs. hot bean paste
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbs. sesame seed oil
Vegetable cooking oil

Wash and pat dry eggplants; cut off the stem. Do not peel. Set skillet over low heat and pour in ½ Tbs. cooking oil; heat for 30 seconds. Add eggplants and cook until eggplant skin is crispy, approx. 10 minutes. If eggplants are too long, cut them in half or find a larger skillet. Turn the eggplants over: continue to cook until eggplants are soft (about another 10 minutes). Carefully transfer eggplants from skillet to serving plate; set aside to cool. Slice eggplants to about 1 inch sections; put then back on serving plate.

Prepare sauce by stir-frying diced garlic, scallions, and ginger in 1 Tbs. oil over high heat for 10 seconds. Add hot bean paste, mix and continue to cook at high heat for 10 seconds. Add soy sauce, sugar and 4 Tbs. water. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 1 1 /2 Â 2 minutes. Turn heat off; add sesame oil and mix. Pour sauce over cooked eggplants. Serve warm.

IMAM BAYELDI (serves 4-6)
1 medium eggplant
1 tsp salt
2 TBL olive oil or vagetable oil, or as needed
2 medium onions, sliced very thin
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt & pepper to taste

Rinse the eggplant; cut off & discard the stem end. Divide the eggplant into 8 equal pieces by cutting lengthwise in half, crosswise in half, then each piece in half. Sprinkle the cut sides w/salt; let stand 2 hours in a colander to drain off excess moisture. Rinse w/cold water & pat dry w/paper towels. Heat the oven to 350°. Put the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat & brown the eggplant on all sides. Transfer to a 2 qt baking dish; arrange the pieces skin side down. In the same skillet brown the onions in oil over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, parsley, tomato sauce, salt & pepper; bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Evenly cover the eggplant pieces with the mixture. Cover & bake 1/2 hour.~~Discover Dayton

Here's one of our favourites which is a well known dish on the Spanish island of 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 - draining them on paper.
5. 
   in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole dish, sprinkle with salt, next layer half the potatoes, again a bit of salt, next layer half the peppers. Repeat with the same ingredients (no more salt) until all are used. Spoon sauce over top and add a bit of chopped parsley.

6) Put into medium oven for about 20 minutes until all is reheated.
This is also good served at room temperature and the next day.

Here's another in which you can replace the bubangos (small pale green zucchini-type squash) with eggplant.

2 bubangos - (small zucchini)
1/3 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup grated white cheese - (I used parmesan)
1 beaten egg
1 teas butter
a sprinkle of fine dry breadcrumbs or fine cracker crumbs

1. Cut the bubangos in half lengthwise and steam or boil until soft but not mushy. Scoop out the pulp, leaving a little next to the skin.

2. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and add the other ingredients and the pulp.

3. Refill the skins, cover with the fine dry crumbs and brown in the oven.

Source: "Buen Provecho - Caracas Cookery" - Caracas, Venezuela.

And here is another for stuffed eggplant:

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplant
1/2 lb ground beef
1 red pepper
1 onion
3 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes
4 oz (100 grams) mushrooms
Grated cheese - (I used Parmesan)
Thyme
Olive Oil
Salt

1. Wash the aubergines and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh with a knife, taking care not to break the skin but leaving the walls as thin as possible.

2. Chop the red pepper, onion and garlic and sauté in hot oil. Chop the aubergine flesh, peel and chop the tomatoes, slice the mushrooms and add to the pan. Season with salt and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Season the ground beef with salt and thyme and sauté in a second frying pan with a little oil. Add to the vegetables once browned. Use this mixture to stuff the aubergines, and cover with grated cheese.

4. Place the aubergine boats in a baking dish and grill for 5 minutes until golden brown. serve hot.

Source: 'Classic Tapas'
Edara Ediciones S.L.
Córdoba, Spain.

SharonCb

WOW, these sound great. Will try soon. Thanks

Here is an unusual appetizer from a friend that I have had for several years. It always gets good comments.

Marinated Eggplant

1 small eggplant
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano, dried
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T capers, chopped

Cut eggplant into half inch square cubes, skin included.
Heat half of the olive oil and saute eggplant until limp. Drain well and place in bowl. Add remaining ingredients. Stir well to mix and allow to cool.
Refrigerare until well chilled.
Serve with crackers as an appetizer.

And let's not forget Baba Ghannouj, that incredible Mid-Eastern spread (dip?) that's second only to Hummus.

1 medium eggplant (about a pound)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp salt or to taste
1 tbls olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley.

1. Grill eggplant over a charcoal fire for 30-40 minutes, turning frequently. Alternatively, place on center shelf in a hot oven and cook until soft, again turning often.

2. Peel off skin while hot and remove stem and end of eggplant if firm.

3. Chop flesh and pound in a morar with pestle to a puree or place in a blender or food processor and puree.

4. Blend in most of the lemon juice and gradually add the tahini.

5. Crush galic to a paste with 1 tsp salt and add to eggplant. Beat well and adjust flavor with more lemon juice and salt.

6. Beat in olive oil and parsley. If using an appliance put about 4 parsley springs into container and process until parsley is chopped but still visible.

7. Place in a shallow dish, garnish with parsley and serve with Khoubiz as an appetizer.

Note: If making ahead, store in sealed container in refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This is the classic Lebanese recipe, as presented in Tess Mallos' "The Complete Middle East Cookbook."

Far as I'm concerned it calls for far too much salt (I cut it down to a half teaspoon) and not enough garlic (I double it).

Khoubiz is a Lebanese flat bread. Pita easily substitutes.

Just this past week I made this recipe from Recipe Zaar. I substituted a small eggplant for the mushrooms, used 2 red peppers, and tripled the amount of olive oil, vinegar, brown sugar and herbs and increased the amount of feta. I think it is very good - a slightly different roasted vegetable recipe.

Roasted Vegetables and Feta #138225
recipe by kolibri
Nice healthy roasted vegetable side dish, recipe from Health Check website.
4 servings
30 minutes 10 mins prep
20 ounces mushrooms, whole and drained
1 large red pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
1 large yellow pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
1 zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 small red onion, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons feta, crumbled

1. Preheat oven to 375 º F (190ºC). Combine mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, onion, and garlic in 9 x 13 inch (3L) baking dish.
2. Stir remaining ingredients except for feta in a small bowl. Drizzle over vegetables and stir in to evenly coat.
3. Bake in oven for 20 minutes.
4. Sprinkle with crumbled feta cheese. Serve.