It depends on the recipe. If it's for texture and bulk, you can use a fleshy summer squash, like yellow squash or pattipan. Especially good for this is the light green one whose name I never remember.

Subbing for flavor is harder, but if it's meant to be cooked down, you could probably do all right with finely chopped mushrooms, like creminis. That'll give you umami and some texture.

One of the things about eggplant is that most people way undercook it. When it's undercooked it's bitter and stiff. When it's sufficiently cooked, it's tender and sweet, though it can, especially when oil is used, go green. No harm in green! But it does tend to look less appetizing. Still delicious. Anyway, you might like eggplant better than you think you do.

One thing that isn't part of an authentic Mediterranean is cooking with butter or cream. The dairy is fermented/preserved in yoghurt and cheeses. Good olive oil or perhaps sesame oil (not toasted or Asian, which are flavorings rather than cooking oils) is the cooking fat of choice.

Enjoy!

I love eggplant and buy it often - pretty much whenever I see it at the farmers' market. I cooked some this week as Eggplant Parmesan. Lately I've been baking it for 30 minutes at 350° (with salt and brushed with olive oil) - I turn it over after 20 minutes and bake it 10 minutes on the second side. I slice it about 3/8" thick, and I've been doing that with a chef's knife lately although I used to use an electric slicer. Anyway, it comes out great. I still use breadcrumbs and egg but forego the frying part, which is very labor intensive.

If you do not like eggplant at all, then I think you can substitute zucchini. It won't taste the same, but then you don't want it to.

I love it also, but not like most cook it. Often a bit rubbery like some cook mushrooms. DH said his mother would put garden (free) eggplant in everything to stretch chili etc. He never liked it for years...

I char the skin on a gas burner then pop it in the oven on a sheet pan, low and slow while I prep other things. Skin peels off easily and is soft and silky but still can be cut into chunks somewhat. So much better than 'rubber town'.

But, understood if you just don't care for it....

I only came up with zucchini also. I can't think of anything veggie that plays a good background flavor similar.

I thought I didn't like eggplant for years & years. Bad run-ins with bitter and undercooked eggplant. Changed my mind after having some wonderful eggplant from a Chinese buffet.

Now I grow it and buy it whenever I see it in the winter. For some reason, I've never grown or purchased a bitter tasting one. Maybe the varieties available now are better? Or maybe the growing conditions?

Or maybe you're just cooking it right?

For a mediterrean diet, lol out at Amazon for a wonderful recipe book by the American writer Martha rose Schulman meditterean harvest. Her recipes are wonderful.

https://www.amazon.com/Mediterranean-Harvest-Vegetarian-Recipes-Healthiest/dp/1605294284/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1530340406&sr=8-4&keywords=martha+rose+shulman+cookbooks

Eggplant in moussaka is great. I don’t much care for it otherwise. Likewise zucchini except when it is deep fried. Which is totally unhealthy. But so good!

I use zucchini but it does have slightly more water than eggplant so you don't want to cook it quite as long or it will go mushy. In terms of nutrients zucchini is a healthier choice (If that's a consideration.)

Queso fresco might be a good substitution for feta cheese. Also, be aware that there's feta and then there's feta. I found that out when I got some fresh stuff at a local market, I think it was Bulgarian feta. Delish and not like the stuff that is just labeled "feta" in the stores, which I also love but then me and cheese rarely disagree.

wondering how you all prep your eggplant - I was told by a chef that the bitterness could be removed by salting and letting the sliced eggplant sweat for about an hour then rinsing and patting dry before continuing with recipe. I don't have bitter eggplant but do wonder what you all do.

In my experience the salt ritual doesn't affect flavor, cooking does. If it's cooked through, it's soft and sweet even if it was aged with big seeds and very bitter flesh before it was cooked. I've read that what the salt really does is affect the oil absorption.

I never do the salt water soak with eggplant. Always peel them...never tried cooking with the peel. Never bitter.

Do you all peel eggplant?

Interesting that the salt helps tame greasiness. Will try a brined batch for that reason.

Islay Corbel, I got the book you recommended today. I haven't had a chance to sit with it, but it looks like a great reference. It reminds me of a book I used to have, but it's not that old... Thank-you.