Summer Stew with Eggplant, Tomato, Peppers and Chickpeas

Fall is a perfect time to make this lovely, simple summer stew from Deborah Madison's excellent cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. The flavors are fresh and clean. Served over quinoa, it makes a wonderful meal. Healthy, too.

The second round of tomatoes are ripening right now and the eggplants are still coming strong. There was a chance of frost last night but it didn't get us, thankfully.

There's a bunch of slicing and dicing.

Followed by a bunch of sautéeing and some simmering. I stuck pretty close to the recipe but added some fresh herbs from our garden - oregano, tarragon and thyme.

I served it over some quinoa I cooked in vegetable broth and fluffed with a little butter (makes it extra tasty.)

The chickpeas give it a little more substance, making it a perfect vegetarian main dish. Enjoy!

-- print recipe --Summer Stew with Eggplant, Tomato, Peppers and Chickpeas
Adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Serves 4-6

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 lbs eggplant
* 6 Tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 large red onion, diced into 1/2 to 2/3-inch squares
* 1 large red or yellow bell pepper, diced into 2/3- to 3/4-inch squares
* 2 tsps smoked paprika
* 2 plump cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
* 2 Tbsps tomato paste
* 5 plum tomatoes, diced
* 1 15-oz. can organic chickpeas, drained & rinsed
* 1 cup vegetable stock
* 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh thyme
* 1 Tbsp minced fresh oregano
* 1 tsp minced fresh tarragon (optional)
* Sea salt & freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Cut the eggplant into cubes. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until hazy. Add the eggplant and stir to distribute the oil. Cook—reducing the heat if the eggplant threatens to scorch—turning the pieces every few minutes, until golden, about 10 minutes. Set the eggplant aside.

2. While the eggplant cooks, heat the remaining 2 Tbsps of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and sautée until the onion is lightly browned around the edges—about 10 minutes, adding the garlic and paprika during the last few minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes then add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes more.

3. Add the eggplant, chickpeas, stock, herbs, a teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are cooked through and the flavors are blended—adding water if the stew seems dry—about 30 minutes. Taste, and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve over quinoa, couscous or rice.

You might also like:

Curried Lentil & Sweet Potato Stew

Roasted Eggplant & Tomato Gratin

Mujadara - Lentil & Rice Stew

Eight Eggplant Recipes You'll Love

The eggplants in our garden are ripening on an almost daily basis. It's hard to keep up but this is such a glorious time of year, especially when it comes to food. Here are eight tried and true ways to enjoy eggplant's delicious, nutty, sweet, almost meaty flavor.

---

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomatoes, Feta & Basil
A delicious way to enjoy fresh tomatoes and eggplant. The stacks are particularly fun for kids -- if yours eat vegetables :)

Thai-Style Eggplant Salad with Scallions, Herbs & Greens
This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggplants. The combination of the sweet, nutty roasted eggplant rounds with the zesty lime, spicy sriracha, the scallions, cilantro and greens is complex and divine.

Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
This is a much easier, lighter version of eggplant Parmesan that I love. You layer slices of nutty, roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and parmesan and bake the whole thing until it's beautifully browned and bubbling.

Pomegranate Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans & Chives
Roasting the eggplant slices with pomegranate molasses turns them into the most amazing little savory candies. Paired with toasted pecans and some chives (cheese is optional), it makes a delicious side.

Ratatouille and Sausage Potpie with Cornmeal Biscuit Topping
The perfect dish for late summer and early fall - sautee eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, zucchini and basil with sausage and top with decadent cornmeal biscuits. It's not a quick meal but it's so worth the time. Please forgive the photos - this was before I knew anything about lighting...

Hasselback Eggplant with Pesto and Tomato
This recipe is so wonderfully simple and easy. Although I first made it in the woodstove since it was the dead of winter, you can use either the grill or your oven. Slice an eggplant, brush each slice with olive oil, salt and pepper then smear pesto and tomato paste between each slice, wrap the whole thing in tinfoil and grill or roast until soft and meltingly flavorful.

Pasta with Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini, Fresh Tomatoes & Herbs

This is a perfect way to make use of the late summer bounty. Roasted eggplant, summer squash + sungold tomatoes + basil + a blizzard of Parmesan = delicious pasta!

Baba Ghanoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This dip is a Levantine favorite and with good reason. Eggplant's silky, nutty, sweet flavor is amplified by the addition of lemon juice, tahini paste, garlic, and cumin. Baba ghanoush is a wonderful, healthy snack when served with sliced carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers or pita bread and an essential part of any mezze-style meal.

You might also like:

20 Terrific Tomato Recipes

16 Zucchini Recipes To Inspire

15 Unbeatable Kale Recipes

Baba Ghanoush - Roasted Eggplant Dip

This silky, nutty eggplant dip has a lovely, complex flavor and a surprising sweetness. Baba ghanoush makes a great snack served with crudites (a fancy word for sliced, fresh veggies), pita bread or chips and is a must-have component of any self-respecting mezze platter. It's also a great way to make use of the overwhelming number of eggplants in our garden right now. So I made some.

According to Wikipedia, the translation of baba ghanoush is "pampered papa." Why not? In any case, I like saying it...

The preparation is pretty simple and although it takes a little while to roast or grill the eggplants, the rest is very quick. Start with the freshest eggplants you can find. Ours are a mix of three varieties -- any kind will work.

Pierce the skin with a fork a number of times all over. Cut each eggplant in half lengthwise, brush them with olive oil and lay them cut-side down on a heavy baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes until the flesh is soft and the skin is all wrinkly.

Let them cool down enough to handle them safely then use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of each one.

You'll have something that looks like this. Don't be discouraged - it will taste delicious!

In the bowl of your food processor, add lemon juice, garlic, tahini paste, olive oil, cumin powder and salt. You can also add cayenne pepper for a little bit of kick (I didn't have any). Process until smooth - 30 seconds or so. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. That's it!

Baba goes beautifully with all sorts of things - grilled lamb, chopped salad, hummus, feta cheese, orzo salad, couscous, fish and more. A note about the tahini: if you hate it or are allergic to it, you can substitute mayonnaise and make a very similar dip which is called salat ḥatzilim b'mayonnaise though I admit that I have not tried this yet.

One other note, per my friend Pia. If you have a woodstove and want to make baba ghanoush in the winter, try roasting the eggplants right on the coals - about 5 minutes on each side. It's quick and adds a wonderfully smoky flavor! I can't wait to try this though I am not particularly eager for winter to begin...

-- print recipe --
Baba Ghanoush
Serves 4-8 as an appetizer

Ingredients

* Several eggplants (the number varies based on the size of the eggplants but you want them to add up to about 2 lbs)
* 3 Tbsps organic olive oil
* 3 Tbsps tahini paste
* 1 large clove of garlic, minced or pressed
* Juice of one lemon
* 1-2 tsps sea salt, or more to taste
* 1 tsp ground cumin

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the skin of the eggplants with a fork and cut each one in half the long way. Brush the cut side with olive oil and place, cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for roughly 35-40 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and the interior is very tender. Remove the tray from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes. If you prefer to grill the eggplants, preheat your grill, pierce the skin with a fork, rub them with olive oil and cook over high heat for several minutes on each side, flipping once the skin is blackened. Take the charred eggplants off the grill and put them in a paper bag, fold it closed and let them steam in their skins for 15 minutes before proceeding with step 2 below.

2. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out of the skins - it should come out easily. If you want a chunky, rustic-style dip, mash the flesh with a fork until it reaches your desired consistency, then add the other ingredients and mix well. Or, if you prefer a smoother dip (I do), place the flesh in the bowl of your food processor along with the garlic, remaining olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and cumin powder. Process briefly, until somewhat smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings, as needed.

3. Let cool to room temp, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

You might also like:

Thai Roasted Eggplant Salad with Herbs and Greens

Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Tomato, Feta and Basil

Pomegranate Molasses Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans and Chives

Pomegranate Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans & Chives

Although I have become much more adventurous in my cooking over the years, I am not exactly what I would call a powerhouse of invention. I mostly try things that look good to me and tweak them to my liking. Which is fine. But every once in a while, I come up with something all my own and I get all puffed up with pride. My Creation...

This is just such a one and it is really delicious. It was inspired by the long, thin, dark purple, little beauties our three Japanese eggplant plants are churning out of late. Gorgeous and tasty and so very fresh. I love walking outside my door to gather food that I then translate into a meal with no time for the vegetables herbs and fruits to languish in between. It is the ultimate luxury for someone who likes food...

I have loved pomegranate molasses every since my first taste. It is at once sweet and tart with a rich, fruity flavor. It's quite good eaten by the spoonful,but also does tremendous things for a lot of different foods (click for some inspiring ways to use this fantastic stuff.) And roasted eggplant is most definitely one of them.

I cut up the eggplants into little finger-length wedges of roughly equivalent size so that they would roast evenly. Then I put them in a colander, salted them liberally and left them to drain for a while (longer is better but don't be put off by that if you're in a rush, it will still taste good.)

Then I gave them a little rinse and tossed them right on the baking sheet with a lot of olive oil, a healthy drizzle of pomegranate molasses, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and some garlic powder. The purists among you are more than welcome to mince or press some fresh garlic if garlic powder is distasteful to you, of course, but I love the ease and the way it kind of just disappears into the mix of flavors.

Then into the oven, which I had preheated to 400 degrees, to roast for a good 45 minutes or so, turning regularly to avoid anything burning or cooking unevenly. The end result is a wonderfully caramelized mess of nutty, sweet, tart eggplant. It is quite decadent just like this if you prefer to stop here.

I toasted some pecans, chopped them up and tossed them on top along with some fresh chives from the garden and some chunks of salty feta cheese. It went fast! Try it and see what you think. Feel free to omit the cheese if you're a vegan - it really is delicious without it - I think I even like it better with just the nuts and no cheese.

Oh, and if you're curious about some of my other original culinary inventions, check out my perfect potato green bean salad with lemon dill aioli, my simple and wonderful red cabbage, honey, lime and cilantro slaw and my delicious sweet and sour maple-soy roasted cabbage. When I am good, I am very good...

-- print recipe --
Pomegranate Roasted Eggplant with Toasted Pecans & Chives
Serves 4

Ingredients

* Roughly 3 pounds of eggplant - 3 medium or 8-10 small, Japanese eggplants
* 3-4 Tbsps olive oil
* 2-3 Tbsps pomegranate molasses
* 2 Tbsps sea salt
* 2 tsps freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tsps garlic powder
* 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
* A handful of fresh chives, washed and chopped
* Half a cup of drained, crumbled feta cheese (optional, omit for a vegan dish)

Directions

1. Slice the eggplant into wedges or chunks of roughly the same size and shape to ensure even cooking. Sprinkle liberally with salt and set in a colander or sieve in the sink to drain, turning a few times to ensure that the salt coats the eggplant slices evenly. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Let the eggplant sit for 30 minutes then give a quick rinse to remove some of the salt. Toss the eggplant slices with the olive oil, molasses, pepper and garlic powder, turning until everything is well-coated with the mixture, then put it in the oven to roast, turning every 15-20 minutes to avoid burning or sticking. Cook until you are satisfied with the results which should be soft and caramelized - the exact cooking time will vary depending on how large or small you've cut your eggplant but I'd guess that it will take at least 35-40 minutes. This gives you plenty of time to toast and chop the pecans and chop up the chives.

3. Remove the eggplant from the trays with a metal spatula and place in the serving bowl or platter of your choice. Top with the pecans, chives and feta cheese, if you choose to use it. Drizzle with a little olive oil and serve.

You might also like:

• Thai Eggplant Salad with fresh Herbs &amp Baby Greens
• Grilled Eggplant Stacks with Feta, Tomatoes & Basil
• Provençal Vegetable Tian - A Meltingly Delicious Dish of Eggplant, Potato, Tomato, Zucchini & Herbs

For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.

Thai Eggplant Salad with Fresh Herbs & Greens

A friend recently posed the question "if you could only eat one country's cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?" on his Facebook page. I didn't even pause to think before responding "THAILAND!" I find the unique combination of hot, sour, salty and sweet that makes Thai food Thai food utterly addictive in its freshness, complexity and depth of flavors.

This salad is a perfect example -- you start with a bed of fresh greens and a generous amount of fresh herbs - basil, cilantro and mint. Then you add some sliced scallions or chives, top with nutty, sweet, roasted eggplant and toss the whole thing in a dressing that is a mouth-watering balance of tart, sweet and spicy.

Toss the sliced eggplant with lots of olive oil and sea salt, then spread them out on a couple of heavy baking sheets and roast, flipping once in the middle to ensure even cooking. The roasting turns them into something you'll enjoy eating right off the tray - they get soft and kind of caramelized with a wonderful, nutty flavor that is at least as good as meat.

The scallions provide a nice counterpoint to the sweetness and softness of the eggplant slices. I like to chop them fairly finely to distribute the flavor and avoid getting any overpowering bites of allium.

Fresh basil, mint and cilantro - the holy trinity of Thai herbs - give the salad a delightful pop with little bursts of flavor happening all over the place. I am so happy to be able to go outside and snip these straight from the garden again after the long winter. Feels so luxurious! I'm trying out this pretty purple basil (the variety is called dark opal) this year and so far, I am a big fan.

And the greens make a nice, fresh bed for it all. Especially now that there are such tender young thangs growing in the garden (this bunch of lovelies came from our friend, Liza's garden).

The dressing ties it all together (I can no longer use that phrase without thinking of the Big Lebowski - anyone else?) Lime juice provides all the acid you need. Then you add some fish sauce (substitute soy sauce, if you're a vegan or vegetarian or allergic), some brown sugar, a jot of Sriracha, and a little finely chopped ginger and garlic.

Pour that dressing over it all and devour it. Sometimes I add some chopped toasted peanuts for a little crunch, too, but it's up to you. SO GOOD!

-- print recipe --
Thai Eggplant Salad with Fresh Herbs & Greens
Serves 4

Ingredients

* 2 medium eggplants, ends removed, sliced into rounds or half rounds (the slender Asian eggplants are the best if you can find them)
* 3 scallions, washed, ends removed and finely chopped
* 4-5 cups of fresh greens - lettuce, arugala, tatsoi, baby spinach, etc., washed, dried and ripped into bite-sized pieces
* 2 cups fresh herbs - equal parts cilantro, basil and mint, rinsed, dried, stems removed and coarsely chopped or ripped
*  Olive oil and sea salt for roasting
* 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts (optional)

For the dressing
* Juice of 3 limes
* 2 tsps fish sauce (sub soy sauce if you do not/cannot eat fish)
* 1 tsp Sriracha (you can also use another hot sauce if you prefer or half a jalapeno with the seeds removed - if you like things hot, feel free to use more)
* 1 Tbsp brown sugar or palm sugar
* 1 small clove of garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 tsp chopped ginger root

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400. In a medium-large bowl, toss the eggplant slices with a lot of olive oil (eggplant is like a sponge so do your tossing quickly to help ensure that the oil gets distributed evenly before it gets absorbed) and several generous pinches of sea salt. Turn the eggplant slices out onto two heavy baking sheets and lay them out in a single layer. Roast for 15-20 minutes then remove the trays and flip the slices over. Return them to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes or so before removing them to cool.

2. Make the dressing - just mix all the ingredients together in whatever order you like and stir or shake well until the sugar has dissolved. Taste it and adjust the flavors, as needed.

3. Lay the greens and herbs in your serving bowl and top with the eggplant slices (you can either use them as is or cut or tear them into smaller pieces). Sprinkle with the chopped scallions and peanuts (if desired), add the dressing and serve.

You might also like:

• Miso-Sesame Roasted Broccoli & Sweet Potato Rice Bowl
• Warm Kale Salad with Tahini-Ginger Dressing & Avocado
• Roasted Eggplant, Tomato, Feta & Basil Stacks

For more delicious recipes, gardening ideas, foraging tips, and food-related inspiration "like" the Garden of Eating on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter and Pinterest.