VEGAN COOKING TIPS
Quick and Easy Ideas for Eggplant
By Chef Nancy Berkoff, EdD, RD
Glossy and beautiful, eggplants belong to the nightshade family. In addition to Italian dark purple, eggplant is also available in a cornucopia of colors, including lavender, jade green, orange, and yellow-white, as well as in various sizes and shapes that range from that of a golf ball to a football.
Choose eggplants that are firm and heavy for their size. Their skin should be smooth and shiny, and their color should be vivid. They should be free of discoloration, scars, and bruises, which usually indicate that the flesh beneath has become damaged and possibly decayed. The stem and cap, on either end of the eggplant, should be bright green in color. To test for the ripeness of an eggplant, gently press the skin with the pad of your thumb. If it springs back, the eggplant is ripe. If an indentation remains, it is not ripe yet.
Although they look hardy, eggplants are actually very perishable and care should be taken in their storage. Eggplants are sensitive to both heat and cold and should ideally be stored at around 50 degrees. Do not cut eggplants before storing, as they perish quickly once punctured or their flesh exposed.
Place uncut, unwashed eggplant in a plastic bag and store in the refrigerator crisper where it will keep for a few days. If it is too large for the crisper, don't force it. This will damage the skin and cause the eggplant to spoil. Instead, place it on a refrigerator shelf. Wash the eggplant and cut off the ends. When cutting an eggplant, use a stainless steel knife as carbon steel will react with its pigments and cause it to blacken. Eggplant can be baked, roasted in the oven, grilled, stir-fried, or steamed. If baking it whole, pierce the eggplant several times with a fork so steam can escape.
To tenderize the flesh's texture and reduce some of its naturally occurring bitter taste, you can salt it. After cutting the eggplant into the desired size and shape, sprinkle it with salt and allow it to sit for 30 minutes. This process will reduce some of the eggplant's water content and if frying it, make it less likely to soak up oil. It's your choice whether to rinse off the salt.
Here are some eggplant ideas...