During the summer season, we sometimes buy a few pounds of eggplant at the farmers market. I would make with them either our favorite ratatouille-caponata, spicy eggplant tomato sauce pasta, a miso flavored Japanese eggplant dish, or this marinated eggplant, which is heavenly delicious! The idea came from the delicious marinated and grilled eggplant and zucchini I ate when I was visiting Italy. This is a little different, because I bake the slices of eggplant first and then marinate them. It is so easy to make and so delicious. Just slicing, roasting, then marinating.
Maximize the use of energy
When I make this, I usually time it with baking my bread, or making roasted tomato sauce. 450 degrees is quite a lot of energy to consume. Therefore, I want to put as much creation as possible into the oven at the same time to maximize the purpose of using this energy. More respectful to the environment. This is teaching I sincerely carry in my heart and practice from the time I lived with the Japanese elder artist Mayumi Oda on her Ginger Hill Farm in Big Island, Hawaii.
Enjoying small portions for a longer time
When I cook eggplant for a regular meal, we have to consume everything within a few days. But this dish is different. As it preserves so well and can be stored for several weeks in the fridge, we can eat a couple of slices for a meal from time to time. This is very helpful for me, as I don’t want to eat nightshade vegetables in large amounts frequently. A few slices from time to time allows me to appreciate and enjoy its deliciousness so fully more often.
Easy to make
In the recipe below, you can find the details on how to make this. But as you can see in the pictures below, it is absolutely easy and fun. While you are making this, maybe you will get creative and mouth watering ideas how you want to use this in your meal during the next weeks!
With or without herbs
I have made this dish both with and without herbs, and both are very delicious. This time, I have not used any herbs, but I will write the herbs as the optional ingredients in the recipe. Oregano and/or basil are always a wonderful companion, and yet, I learned that the mint is another wonderful choice of herb for this dish.
Many beautiful usages
Our very classic way to eat this is to make a sandwich with hummus and this marinated eggplant, or use it as salad topping. But there are many other ways to use this as a delicious addition to the dish. Adding on top of the quinoa salad, avocado toast, or simply on top of the warm, freshly cooked rice. Also, I can imagine it will go together beautifully with scrambled eggs (even though I have never tried). How would you use this delicious eggplant in your meal? If you have any ideas, feel free to share with us!
Marinated Eggplant
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 4 Tbsp EV olive oil
- 2 garlic
- pepper
- salt
- dried herbs such as oregano, basil, or mint (optional)
- —————
- For the baking pan:
- Olive oil
Directions
- Step 1 Turn the oven to 350 F. Have the jar sterilized.
- Step 2 Slice the eggplant thinly.
- Step 3 Rub salt onto both cut sides of the eggplant.
- Step 4 Spread the oil on a baking pan.
- Step 5 While placing the eggplant on the pan, wipe both surfaces of the eggplant along the oiled baking pan to have both sides lightly oiled.
- Step 6 Put the baking pan into the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Once the eggplant is tenderly baked, it is ready.
- Step 7 Take the pan from the oven and let it cool down.
- Step 8 Mix EV olive oil, balsamic vinegar, smashed garlic, and crushed black pepper in a bowl. (Or you can already mix them in the jar in which you store the eggplant and do the rest of the process in it like the pictures of this article.)
- Step 9 Put the baked eggplant slices into the bowl one by one while letting each merge with the sauce.
- Step 10 Once all eggplant slices are well coated with the sauce, put them into a jar and pour the rest of the sauce into the jar.
- Step 11 Seal the jar and store in the fridge.
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