A Tale of Two Eggplants - or rather one eggplant two ways

I was so happy when I saw this beautiful eggplant in my share last week. I love eggplant, but have never actually cooked it myself. A new adventure. I just love a new adventure.

Pretty purple eggplant

I searched for recipes, as usual wanting to find ones where I had all the ingredients already in my house. Let's say it is because I want to use all the in-season ingredients in my CSA and not because I'm too lazy to go into a grocery store unless I'm out of coffee.

So many wonderful options. Seriously, this is an all-around good vegetable. But I only had one eggplant. I finally decided to divide it in two and make two recipes. The first is mostly based on this one from Real Simple, though I cut it in half (http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/curried-eggplant-tomatoes-basil-00000000011403/index.html). Why? Because my friend Rob said he likes curry. I do too. And it is awesome in this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 5 tomatoes, cut into 1/2 in. pieces (approx. depends on size and how much tomato you like)
• 1/2 eggplant cut into 1/2 in. pieces
• Olive oil as described below (or other veggie oil. Does not need to be olive for this recipe)
• 1 tsp. curry powder (maybe a bit more if you like curry like I like curry)
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup water or vegetable broth
• 1/2 can of cannellini beans 
• 1/4 cup basil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Greek yogurt or sour cream to top (optional)
• Rice or whatever you want to serve the eggplant curry over. I used Forbidden Rice (AKA Black Rice, but that doesn't sound as cool)

Directions:

Coat the bottom of a pan with oil. Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, eggplant, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and some salt and pepper. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil before reducing heat to a simmer and partially covering. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender.

Uncover and stir in beans. Cook for about 3 minutes to heat through. Remove from heat. Stir in basil.

Smells devine!

Serve over whatever rice, pasta, potato, quinoa, grain, etc. that you want. Top with Greek yogurt or sour cream if desired.

Yummy finished eggplant curry.

With the other half of the eggplant I made a Martha Stewart recipe for eggplant-tomato relish. Don't diss Martha. She is like Chuck Norris, only you'd eat well with her and say it is a good thing.

Ingredients:

• 1 14 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, torn into small pieces (I would have used fresh, but Martha said a can... and I'd used the fresh ones I had in the curry. Include juices.)
• 1/2 eggplant
• 2 unpeeled garlic cloves (or 2 cloves of garlic you've already roasted)
• 1/4 small red onion, diced (I used half, but it was a very tiny red onion)
• Olive oil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. On a rimmed baking sheet, stir together tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves (unless using already roasted), and cumin and a drizzle of olive oil. Place half eggplant on top of mixture, cut side covered with tinfoil and up. Roast until eggplant is very tender and tomato juices are thick, about 25-30 min. Let cool. Scrape out flesh of eggplant (discarding seeds if there are a lot) and roughly chop the flesh. Place in a bowl. Peel and cop garlic and add to the bowl. (If using pre-roasted garlic, add it now as well.) Stir in tomato and red mixture from baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper.

Uses:

This is great on toasted french bread or thin with some pasta water or wine and toss with pasta of your choice. Or just eat with pita chips. I didn't take any photos. My bad.

As I said, I love a new adventure. Here is another adventure I tried right after making these eggplant dishes. It was way more exciting. Way.

Skydiving adventure, thanks to the very able, always smiling, lovable JT.

So these are the adventurous things on my plate at the moment. Hope what is on your's is keeping life just as interesting and joyful.