Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
H O W T O S T O R E: The eggplant is a tropical plant and hates the cold. Bronze
patches on an eggplant's skin are signs of chill damage, which can occur after the fruit is
picked as well as before. In an ideal world, you'd buy only enough eggplant to use for one
day, and you'd store it in a cool spot on the counter. (Eggplants hate to get colder than 45
degrees, and most home refrigerators are between 35 and 40 degrees.) Eggplants' thin skin
is also susceptible to water damage, so keep your eggplants as dry as possible. The best
solution is to store them in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, in a plastic bag with a
crumpled-up sheet of paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Kept this way, they'll be of
acceptable quality for up to a week.
H O W T 0 P R E PA R E: Eggplants can be peeled or not, depending on your pref-
erence. The peel is slightly tough, and if you're cooking an eggplant whole, the peel can
split during the process. You can also peel the eggplant in alternating lengthwise strips,
which gives it a pretty harlequin effect. Salt eggplant only if you are going to fry it in oil.
O N E S I M P L E D I S H: To grill eggplant, cut it lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick
slices. Brush both sides of each slice with garlic-flavored olive oil. Continue brushing
lightly during cooking. Grill just until the eggplant is tender - try not to char it, although
that's unavoidable to a certain extent. When a slice of eggplant is done, transfer it to a
serving platter, then sprinkle it with salt and minced fresh herbs. When the next slice is
done, place it on top of the first, repeating the seasoning. Continue layering the slices until
all are cooked.
Smoky Eggplant Bruschetta
Baking an eggplant brings out a somewhat unexpected smoky character (think of
baba ghanoush). Be sure to pierce the eggplant before cooking, or it might explode.
Once you've peeled the baked eggplant, all it needs is a rough stirring to turn it into
