AUBERGINE PREPARATION

Before cooking with aubergines you may want to sprinkle the flesh with salt and leave for 15-30 minutes to remove bitter juices. Rinse and dry before continuing with your recipe.

AUBERGINE LOAF

350 g (12 oz) aubergine
3 eggs
75 g (3 oz) breadcrumbs
50 g (2 oz) grated cheese
Basil, 2 tbs freshly chopped
100 ml (4 fl. oz) olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6
Cut the aubergine into pieces and mince in the blender. Put into a bowl. Whizz all the rest of the ingredients in the blender and fold in the minced aubergine. Bake in a greased loaf tin for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for a further 15 minutes or until a knife comes out clean from the centre. Cover with a cloth for 10 minutes, then turn out of the tin. Slice and serve.

AUBERGINE SALAD

1 aubergine
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 cucumber, diced
1 green pepper
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint
1-2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the aubergine and pepper on a baking tray and roast until the aubergine has softened and the pepper charred. Once they have cooled down, peel and cube them. Mix together the tomatoes, onion, cucumber and parsley with the roasted vegetables. In a jar, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and pepper for the dressing. Shake well then pour over the salad and toss it once again.

SUMMER AUBERGINE

1 medium aubergine cut into slices
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 green pepper, de-seeded and diced
1/2 medium chilli, diced
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1/2 fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Juice of 1 lemon

Rinse and cut into 1cm cubes. Mix the aubergine with about half of the garlic. Sauté the aubergine in a small amount of water until very soft OR seal the aubergine, garlic and water in aluminium foil and cook on a barbeque or grill until soft. Allow the aubergine to cool and them mix with the remaining ingredients. Leave for 15-20 minutes to cool to room temperature and then serve.

STUFFED AUBERGINES WITH A CORIANDER DRESSING

Aubergines
30 ml lemon juice
50 g couscous
6 sun–dried tomatoes
Mint sprigs
15 ml pine Nuts
4 spring onions

Coriander Dressing:
1 cm piece fresh root ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
150 ml yoghurt
Lime juice
2 tablespoon fresh coriander

Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and score the cut sides deeply, but being careful not to damage the skins. Place scored side up on a baking sheet. Rub the lemon juice into the flesh and sprinkle with a little salt. Bake in the oven at 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 for 20-30 minutes until the flesh is soft and tender. To prepare the couscous, put it into a bowl and pour on 150ml (1/4 pint) of boiling water and leave to soak. It will be ready when it fluffs up. Chop the sundried tomatoes, mint, pine nuts and spring onions. Mix these all together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Scoop the flesh from the cooked aubergines and chop up finely. Run a fork through the couscous to separate the grains and then add the aubergine and other stuffing ingredients into to the mixture. Stir until all the ingredients are combined. Spoon the filling into the aubergine shells. If serving hot, put back into the oven and cook a further 15 minutes. If serving cold, allow chilling in the refrigerator. Prepare the dressing by mixing the ginger and garlic together with the yoghurt, lime juice and coriander. Chill, and spoon over the aubergines when they are ready.

GARLIC AUBERGINE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
220g mushrooms, cut into quarters or halves
1-2 aubergines, cut into cubes
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
Salt and pepper to taste.

In a large pan sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat until soft and sweet. Add the mushrooms, aubergine, garlic and water. Keep on medium to high heat stirring occasionally until the water is boiling (about 2 min). Turn down the heat to simmering point and cover for about 1/2 an hour or until the aubergine is done. Add basil, salt and pepper to taste. Reheat when ready to serve.

ORGANIC ROASTED VEGETABLE TART

1 aubergine
1 red pepper
1 small onion
500 g plum tomatoes
3 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons olive Oil
Sea salt
Fresh thyme
250g shortcrust pastry

Preheat oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6
Cut the aubergine into chunks. Cut the peppers in half and de-seed. Place all of the vegetables in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and the thyme and roast for about 40 minutes.
Line a 20cm tart tin with the shortcrust pastry; bake for 10- 15 minutes or until golden. When done, spoon in the vegetables and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Serve while still warm!

ORGANIC RATATOUILLE

The best thing about Ratatouille is that it is easy to make and always popular.
You can use this basic idea and add any of your leftovers, like carrots, artichoke, mushrooms or fennel.

Aubergines
Courgettes
Onions
Red or green peppers
4 large tomatoes or 400 g tinned tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh basil
Salt
Black pepper

Cut aubergine and courgettes into approximately 1 inch slices. Chop the onions roughly, de–seed the peppers and chop them too. Skin the tomatoes by first plunging them into boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then removing the skins. Quarter them, and extract the seeds. Rinse the aubergine and courgettes. Pat with a kitchen towel to dry. Now fry the onions and garlic gently in the olive oil in a large pan until soft. Cut the aubergine and courgettes into chunks and add them to the pan. Add the basil, salt and pepper (fresh ground black pepper will give the best result) and simmer very gently for about 30 minutes. After that time add the tomato flesh. Leave the lid off and cook for a further 15 minutes. Enjoy! You will be pleased to know that not only is this recipe tasty, it’s packed full of vitamins!

ROASTED VEGETABLES

1 aubergine, cut into strips lengthways
2 medium courgettes, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 red onions, peeled and sliced
200g mushrooms, cut into halves
2 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
Organic olive oil to coat

For the dressing:
6 tablespoons of organic olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
Chopped fresh basil and parsley to taste
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 220°C/ 425°F/ Gas Mark 7. Arrange the vegetables, except the mushrooms, in a single layer in a roasting tin. Brush with some olive oil. Bake in the oven until they soften and begin to char around the edges. At this point add and brush the mushrooms and then bake for a further 10 minutes. Discard the garlic and arrange the rest of the vegetables in a dish. Mix together the ingredients for the dressing and then pour over the vegetables. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

TOMATO AND AUBERGINE GRATIN

1 medium aubergine
150ml olive oil
450g ripe tomatoes
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 200°C/ 400°F/ Gas Mark 6. Cut the aubergine into 3 mm thick slices. Heat half of the oil in a fry pan and fry each of the aubergine slices in batches until golden brown on each side. If the pan becomes dry, add more oil. Drain on kitchen towel. Halve the tomatoes. Arrange to tomatoes and aubergine in a shallow ovenproof dish. Season with salt and pepper and then sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 10-15 minutes until browned. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving.

AUBERGINE PANCAKES

A tasty, substantial savoury pancake. Serves 4.

1 aubergine
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
50 g (2o z) flour
4 tablespoon vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 eggs
Salt and pepper

Prick the aubergine all over and roast it on a baking sheet at 175°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30-35 minutes. Let it cool, then scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl and mash it with a fork until it is smooth. Sauté the garlic and onions in a non-stick pan (with water or a little stock if desired). Add this to the aubergine. Add the flour, baking powder, eggs, stock, parsley, pepper, and salt, and mix it all thoroughly. Coat a frying pan with a little oil and heat it to a medium heat. Add spoonfuls of the batter to the pan and cook until golden.

AUBERGINE AND LENTILS

Meaty chunks of aubergine and lentils simmered in tomatoes and herbs…serve over basmati rice with a green salad and some crusty bread. Serves 4.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium aubergine, peeled, cut into bite–sized cubes
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 tin of tomatoes diced, or equivalent of fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon honey
185g (6 oz) dry green or brown lentils, cooked, (reserving 100 ml of cooking liquid)
salt to taste

Heat the oil in a heavy–bottomed pan over medium heat and sauté the aubergine for about 10 minutes. Sprinkle with water if it sticks. Add the onion, tomatoes, oregano, garlic, and pepper and sauté 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, lemon juice, and honey, and stir thoroughly. Add the lentils and cooking liquid, and simmer for about 15 minutes, adding a little water if the sauce seems too thick. Season to taste with salt, and serve.

TEMPURA AUBERGINES

1 egg
120 ml water
150 g of flour
1 aubergine

Mix the egg, water and flour together to make a light batter. Slice the aubergines quite thinly and dip into the batter. Deep fry in hot oil immediately, until the batter is golden brown. You can also use whatever other vegetables you like! Eat alone, or serve with a chilli dipping sauce.

BABA GHANNOUJ WITH PITTA CRISPS

This Middle Eastern dip makes a lovely snack or side dish. It is made with sesame Tahini, which can be found in most grocers. Serves 4.

1 medium aubergine, halved lengthwise
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons Tahini
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh mint or parsley, finely chopped
2 pitta breads, cut in half and brushed with oil

Place the aubergine flesh side up on a baking tray, and bake for 20 minutes at 190°C, 375°F until the flesh is soft. Peel and discard the skins. Place the aubergine, garlic, lemon juice, tahini and olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt, and stir in the herbs. Bake the pitta pockets in a single layer for 10 minutes or until golden, and serve together.

AUBERGINE AND MOZARELLA BAGUETTES

Serves 4

1 aubergine, sliced lengthwise into 8 pieces
4 thick slices of mozzarella cheese
1/2 a jar of sundried tomatoes in oil, sliced thin
2 handfuls of spinach, lettuce or rocket, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 & 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Enough baguette for four sandwiches, cut in half

Rub the aubergine slices on both sides with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook under the grill until tender (about 10 minutes), turning once. Place 2 aubergine slices on the bottom half of each baguette and top with cheese. Whisk the oil, vinegar and garlic in a bowl, season with salt and pepper; add greens, dried tomatoes and basil; toss. Divide among the sandwiches; close each with the top baguette slice.

BREADED AUBERGINE ROUNDS

A great use for aubergine and eggs, Italian style! Serve with roasted chicken and salad. Serves 4

Plain flour in a medium bowl
3 eggs, lightly beaten, in a separate medium bowl
90 g dry breadcrumbs, in a separate medium bowl
Salt and pepper to taste
1 handful finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium aubergine, cut into thin rounds crosswise
Vegetable oil for frying
200 ml tomato pasta-style sauce, or red pesto
2 handfuls grated mozzarella cheese

Season the breadcrumbs with a little salt and pepper and stir in the Parmesan. Dip an aubergine slice in the flour so it’s covered on both sides, then coat with egg, letting any excess drip off. Now cover it in bread crumbs. In a large frying pan, heat ¼” oil over a medium-high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Fry the aubergine slices in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, then put them on a plate to drain off any extra oil. Preheat the grill, arrange the rounds on a baking sheet, top them with sauce and mozzarella, grill until cheese melts and serve!

AUBERGINE AND SMOKED SAUSAGE TOMATO SAUCE

Serve with pasta, rice, couscous, lentils, mash, a toasted baguette, chickpeas, polenta, cabbage, wilted greens, Spanish tortilla or risotto. Approximately 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium aubergine, cut into big bite-sized chunks
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
450 g cooked smoked sausage, bite-sized chunks
2 tins chopped tomatoes with liquid
2 heaped tablespoons tomato puree
60 ml red wine
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the aubergine, onions and garlic and sauté until they are just browned, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage, tomatoes, puree and wine. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the aubergine is very tender, about 20 minutes. Uncover the pan and simmer for a few minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

AUBERGINE CAPONATA

Try this mouthwatering Italian relish as a spread on a baguette, or as a side to lamb or grilled fish, for 4.

3 tablespoons olive oil
450 g unpeeled aubergine, small diced
1 large handful finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped green olives
2 tablespoons chopped drained capers
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or sherry
1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons golden raisins
2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
2 handfuls chopped tomatoes, or equivalent tinned

In a medium frying pan heat half the olive oil over a medium-high heat until it’s hot but not smoking, then add the aubergine and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until it is tender. Transfer the cooked aubergine to a bowl. Add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the onion for 3 minutes, then add the olives, capers, vinegar, sugar, raisins, pine nuts and tomatoes and cook, covered, for 5 minutes until all the ingredients are heated right through. Combine all the ingredients and let it cool; the caponate can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

AUBERGINE DIP (BABA GANOUSH)

Similar to hummous, and great with bread, salad and olives. Chill briefly before serving.

Prick 1 large aubergine all over with a fork, cut it in half lengthwise, and cook flesh side up under the grill for 20 minutes (or roast until soft). In a large bowl, mix 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 large minced garlic clove, 1 handful minced shallots or onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 3 tablespoons chopped coriander or parsley. Spoon the aubergine flesh onto a board and finely dice; add to the mixture and stir. Season to taste with salt, pepper and extra lemon juice.