Posts Tagged ‘Aubergine’

Taste: Meaty and slightly piquant, aubergines are so versatile and appealing it’s no surprise that they are one of the most renowned vegetables in the world, featured in every country’s cuisine. They can be stuffed, fried, stewed, baked and combined with all sorts of ingredients to create unique dishes. These Italian aubergines are so flavoursome you will taste the difference from the supermarket variety straight away.

Quality: We only source the finest grade available on the market. Our buyers only select what is looking and tasting best twice a week! It’s the peak of the season for aubergines, so take advantage while they’re so good.

Growing: There are many varieties of aubergine according to the area they’re grown. The white variety gives the American name for aubergine, “eggplant”. Green or red types are grown in Asia and India. Long, thin cultivars are found in China. The most common variety in Europe is the deep purple, elongated one, but also the lightly coloured round aubergine, with a slightly less “spongy” pulp is quite common.

Cost: We always let you know the price per kg so you can easily compare our prices. Our aubergines are not only superior in quality, but they are also better value than what is usually found in the supermarket:

Natoora “Aubergines” £1.02 each, £2.90/kg

Waitrose “Aubergines Essential“ £1.03 each (price per kg not given)

Abel & Cole “Aubergines” £1.24 each (price per kg not given)

(prices checked on 21/7/2011)

Serves 2

2 large aubergines, preferably the round variety
extra virgin olive oil
2 balls of mozzarella
1-2 tins of chopped tomatoes
1 bunch fresh basil
1 clove of garlic, crushed
freshly grated Parmesan
salt and pepper

a small baking tray

Wash, top and tail the aubergines peel off alternate stripes of skin. Then slice lengthways in 1cm thick slices. Ideally, do this the night before, layer in a pasta drainer sprinkling some rock salt on each layer, then put a heavy weight on top (usually a pot full of water does the trick) and leave to rest in the sink. The aubergines will lose quite a bit of water overnight. The following day, pat each slice with kitchen paper to dry them further. This step helps a lot as it improves the final result (you’ll get a meatier, less watery bake) but it’s not essential, so if you don’t have time just skip this bit.

Fry the aubergines in hot oil, but try to use as little as possible as aubergines will soak up a lot of oil resulting in a very heavy and greasy bake. Leave to rest on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil. If you have dried the aubergines overnight with salt, then they probably don’t need any seasoning. If you haven’t, then add salt to taste (consider they will flavour the tomatoes as well). Mix the tomatoes with the crushed garlic and some freshly ground black pepper.

Now start building your parmigiana. Put a spoonful of chopped tomatoes (you can use passata if you prefer a creamier result) on the bottom of the baking dish, then place a layer of aubergines on top. Top with more tomatoes, finely chopped mozzarella, basil and parmesan. Repeat until you run out of aubergines, making sure the last layer of parmesan is quite generous. Bake for half an hour at 200C, serve hot.

Got your own version of Meanzane alla Parmigiana? Let us know using the comment box.

2 round aubergines
350g mascarpone
500g datterini confit
oregano
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

First prepare the datterini confit.

Slice the aubergines in half and bake at 180C or 30 minutes on greaseproof paper.

Once softened, scoop out the pulp and discard the skin. Mash the flesh in a bowl with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.

Season the mascarpone with oregano and extra virgin olive oil, adding some of the water left when cooking the tomatoes, until you have a creamy consistency.

Transfer the creamy mascarpone in a piping bag and divide into 4 martini glasses. Top with a few of the confit tomatoes, the aubergine puree, more datterini, a final touch of mascarpone for decoration and a few basil leaves.

Keep refrigerated until serving. Serve with crispy bread.

Aubergine is at the peak of its season at the moment so it’s the perfect time to enjoy its creamy flesh. With ripe tomatoes, basil and mozzarella, this dish makes the most of some great seasonal produce.

Serves 2

2 large aubergines
4 ripe San Marzano tomatoes
garlic
fresh basil leaves
125g mozzarella
parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper
chillies

Chop some basil leaves and garlic and mix with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Wash the tomatoes then slice and place in a bowl with a crushed garlic clove, some roughly chopped basil, salt and pepper and a dash of E.V.O. oil. If you like a bit of a kick, add some chilli. Leave to marinade.

Wash the aubergines and cut off the top. Slice in half lengthways. Slit across and rub sparingly with the herby mix, trying to season the inside of the pulp. Make sure you don’t cut near the skin. Drizzle with olive oil.

Place in a preheated (200C) oven on a baking tray and cook for 25 minutes until soft. Top with the tomatoes, cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add the mozzarella slices and sprinkle with parmesan, grill for a couple of minutes and serve, garnished with whole basil leaves.

If you like to have something with it, try some cous cous or a refreshing mixed leaves salad.