Posted on 08/02/2020 5:01:12 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’m a fan of eggplant. It’s commonly said that eggplant hasn’t much taste, but soaks up other flavors; but I like its own taste.
I think I’ve posted this before, and can’t remember where I found it; but it’s one of my favorite things to do with eggplant – if you also like tahini, you’ll enjoy this:
ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH TAHINI DRESSING
2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
For Eggplant: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them "drain", flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. This helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)
Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep, here and there, or in a 'grill-mark' sort of grid. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
Dressing:
While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt.
Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.
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Another thing to do with eggplant is Caponata, great with a good crusty loaf of Italian bread; this recipe is from Martha Rose Shulman:
https://therecipefile23.blogspot.com/2017/03/caponata-martha-rose-shulman-yield.html?m=1
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While we were waiting to see the SpaceX splashdown today, I found a couple of fun things on YouTube.
This is National Geographic’s interview with WWII veteran Richard Arvin Overton of Texas, who was 109 years old at the time this video was made; he lived to be over 112 by the time he passed (video is about 12 minutes long):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXyfCGDnuWs
And this is a very sweet man serenading his donkey (very short):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu-yDS6IVB4
Lose eggplant bitterness: Slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. Salt each slice and stack. When you have a small tower of eggplant, cover with thin towel and allow to rest for about 1/2 to 1 hour. The bitterness will drain away and you are free to use. I like to just salt and pepper and sprinkle with Wondra flour and saute like green tomatoes.
Tomato, avocado, goat cheese ficelle w/ fig preserves condiment.
Those are very nice jams, and attractively packaged. I’ve often given them to people in gift baskets for Christmas.
You can put together a much nicer gift basket by going around the grocery store, than by ordering something from Swiss Colony and the like...
I’m still trying to find my zucchini ‘fritter’ appetizer recipe (I promised a recipe for zukes) but in the meantime, I did find this sauce that is really good over steamed zucchini. From an old post:
If you have an abundance of Zucchini coming on – or a neighbor who generously gifts you from their own abundance – this is a great sauce to serve over steamed Zucchini:
Tarragon Mustard Sauce for Steamed Zucchini
Mix in a saucepan:
½ Cup chicken or vegetable broth
1 shallot or scallion, minced
1-1/2 tsp. fresh tarragon
2 T. dry white wine
1 T. cornstarch (or arrowroot)
1/8 tsp. Black pepper
Cook uncovered for 2 or 3 minutes; and add 1 T. butter (without the butter, this is low-fat.)
Serve over steamed Zucchini.
Thanks!
Nice addition to the zucchini collection.
“You can put together a much nicer gift basket by going around the grocery store...”
I agree. Every few years I do Gift Baskets for Christmas gifts, and this is one of those years. No one in my immediate family needs a THING, so we’ve all agreed on ‘consumables’ and/or gift cards for consumables. (We count books as ‘consumables,’ LOL!)
There is a ‘Harry & David’ outlet that my BFFs and I stop at when we’re out that way shopping; lots of great bargains to be found, there.
Nice for kids.
BROWNIE TORTE/ PISTACHIO MOUSSE FILLING
PREP Lightly spray 2-8" round cake pan bottoms. Line w/ parchment; lightly spray paper.
TORTE Spoon/stir 50 strokes 19.5 oz pkg Pillsbury® Traditional Fudge Brownie mix, 1/2 c Canola Oil, 1/4 c water, 3 eggs. Spread half evenly in each pan. Bake 27-30 min--pick 2" from edge comes clean. Cool in pans on racks 10 min. Run knife at edges to loosen. Invert on rack; remove parchment. Fridge racks w/layers to cool completely 20 min. Carefully halve w/ long serrated knife (make 4 layers).
MOUSSE Hold tb pudding mix for garnish. Elec/mix on high 2 min 4-serve instant pistachio pudding powder, 3/4 cup cold whole milk, cup cold h/cream thick and creamy. Stir in 1/2 c coarse-chp pistachios. Cover/frige.
ASSEMBLY Layer on server brownie layer, cut side down, 1/3 mousse spread evenly to edge. Repeat layering. Top w/ 4th brownie layer, cut side down; frige while making glaze.
CHOCOLATE GLAZE heat/stir 1/2 c h/cream on med, bubbles start to form at edge. Offheat add 4 oz fine-chp semi/chocolate; stir smooth. Stir in tsp ea vanilla/corn syrup; let stand 10 min. Stir; spoon over top of torte, let drips run down side.
FINAL Fridge while making garnish. Pipe rosettes w/ star tip on top. Chill 30 min before serving.
ROSETTES GARNISH beat 1/2 cup h/cream, 2 tbl conf, tb pudding mix on high to stiff peaks.
Instant White Sauce / Makes 2 cups
With an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree thick and creamy,
about 30 sec to a min 2 cups h/cream ½ cup chp fresh basil 1/4 cup chp fresh chives
1 ½ tsp lemon zest 2 tb fresh l/juice minced gar/cl, pinch ea crushed red pepper flakes, ks/p.
Store in fridge. Warm to serve.
seen them, made them, they are cute. I prefer a cube.
They look real nice on top of cupcakes.
Post 129 is the ACME of Chocolate desserts!!
I can’t wait to make this!
I have not tried the cupcake thing, sounds good. That’s new to me, but the tea thing yes. didn’t have fancy equipment, mom just made a solution thing out of powdered suger and stuff and pipped it out in a design on wax paper and baked it for a bit. I have done it a few times since I was a kid, but prefer the cube. It didn’t look as good as the pic you posted.
It’s apparently very easy to make, with the right tools; and you can make it in all sorts of shapes and sizes, for all kinds of decorating. You can buy what you need, in many different types, from lots of different places:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LBCLWEIlVI
that is not what I did, nor did it look so cool. Now I wanna try.
It looks pretty easy and inexpensive to get started. If you use Amazon, check there for the stuff you need.
Adorable........
Glad you like it.......its delicious.
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