I want to like eggplant. Really, I do. I love their color. Their shape. I like to grow them watching the little purple flower turn into this graceful vegetable. How, I wonder, does something so beautiful to look at taste so blah? And maybe it’s not even the taste so much as the texture. Spongey. Mushy. Blah.
When I was a kid I loved eggplant night because my mom deep fried it – and let’s be honest, almost anything tastes good deep fried. On this rare occasion when the fryer was out, oil was hot and batter was made, you can bet we made onion rings too. It was a treat and I still remember biting through that crunchy golden shell that the eggplant was really just a carrier for, in all honesty.
Adulthood sets in and it doesn’t really seem like a good idea to own a deep frier so there goes that eggplant preparation method. Baba ganoush is fine although I’m hardly breaking down doors to get my hands on it. When eggplant makes it to a potluck I look away and politely move on down the table.
But then recently my friend Tara brought a jar of roasted eggplant bathing in olive oil to an evening at friends’ with a side of crackers and I was intrigued. I’ve found that I like almost any vegetable roasted. It often adds a bit of caramelization to the outside while keeping a softer inside. My Midwestern husband jokes that he’d never even heard of roasting vegetables and now that’s practically all I serve him (when I’m not grilling them).
Well, since I’m writing about it, I bet you’ve figured out that not only did I like it, I was busy making my own just a couple days later. Not that I think this jar is going to last very long given that it seems like I’m always chopping them to add to salads or scrambled eggs or just standing at the counter eating them straight from the jar.
Eggplant – there may be a chance for us yet!
- Eggplant
- Garlic, sliced
- Olive oil
- Rosemary, or herbs of choice
- Salt & pepper
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Cut the eggplant into slices, wedges, strips – whatever shape you like as long as the pieces are basically the same size.
- Toss with some olive oil and lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet (I prefer to put parchment paper down for easier clean up).
- Sprinkle sliced garlic over the to and season with salt and pepper. Add springs of fresh rosemary.
- Roast for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally, and enjoying the smell of roasting garlic.
- Layer the roasted eggplant with the garlic in a jar adding any other spices (think red chile flakes) or herbs you'd like.
- Fill the jar with olive oil and keep in the fridge. Make sure you use the infused oil in cooking or salad dressings for a little flavor boost.
