At the Market: Eggplant is the sweet your savory is seeking - Boulder Daily Camera

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Boulder County Farmers Markets

Eggplants are such a wonderful find at the market. Find a big globe eggplant and imagine an eggplant Parmesan that will feed your whole family or a classic French ratatouille. Tiny, delicious, teardrop-shaped or spherical eggplants are perfect for an Asian-inspired stir-fry.

Most continents celebrate the eggplant. (Not always: As a nightshade, it was shunned by many people long ago as being poisonous. Their loss.) It’s known as a vegetable, but it’s botanically a berry. Most eggplants are grown in China and India, but here in Colorado with our dry climate and cool nights, they are prolific and are gorgeous specimens at the local farmers markets.

Its spongy texture will absorb the oils, curries, spices and anything else you want to add to it. But it’s substantial in texture, so it makes a great meat substitute in several recipes if you don’t eat meat, or if you are trying to cut back on meat. (Think about things you use meat as an accent for, including pasta sauces, stir-fries, or stews. Eggplant will suffice in most recipes.)

From the Mediterranean to Southeast Asia, there are countless recipes to share here, but we’re going really simple here because it’s summer and because we can: baba ghanoush. The world-famous dip is mimicked worldwide by other cultures with different spices and techniques, but this one is the one we turn to for an easy appetizer dip. Serve it simply with some toasted pita bread. Or use it as part of a large Mediterranean spread with grilled meats or vegetables, stuffed grape leaves, hummus and flatbreads.

Our recipe features sumac. It’s optional. But every kitchen could benefit from it. It’s bright red, so lovely, and tastes salty and lemony at the same time.

We have curbside ordering all year. Sign up an account, and we’ll send you updates on Sunday morning for Boulder and Lafayette pickups. The windows for curbside are 1 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday for Boulder and Lafayette and noon Tuesday-Thursday for Denver and Longmont.

The Boulder pickup is fun and friendly. Order your food by 1 p.m. Tuesday, then attend the beer garden Wednesday evening. Listen to the live music, enjoy your friends and family, meet with local farmers and find hidden treasures, and leave with your curbside order.

At the market this week

Eggplant in a variety of sizes. So many tomatoes! Peaches, kohlrabi, carrots and greens. Beer garden on Wednesday nights starting at 4 p.m. in Boulder. We have ready-to-bake frozen goodies and comfort food. Browse the markets; enjoy the live music. Check out our curbside offerings and stop by the markets. Cucumbers and zucchini. Local cheeses in many varieties and mushrooms of several types and sizes. Pierogies in several flavors, farm-fresh eggs, tamales, pasta, spinach, potatoes, kombucha, green onions, local honey, granola, vegan ice cream. Radishes and tender greens. In-person markets are open in Longmont, Boulder and Denver every Saturday. Curbside available in Boulder, Longmont, Lafayette and Denver. Shop online at bcfm.org.

Baba Ghanoush

• 2 pounds eggplant, preferably small eggplants
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons plain yogurt, as needed
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 2 garlic cloves, cut in half or quarters
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil
• Sumac (optional)

Directions: 

• Pierce the eggplant (depending on its size; if you are using a very large eggplant still pierce it, but cut into large rounds. A grill is preferred, but a broiler or toaster oven on the broiler setting will work just fine. Grill or broil the eggplant until the flesh is thoroughly soft and the skins are blackened and easy to remove.
• Place the cooked eggplant in a colander over a bowl or in the sink, and allow to cool and drain. Peel and discard the black skins, cut off the stems, and let the eggplants sit to drain for another 15 to 30 minutes.
• Puree the eggplant in a food processor or blender. Add the lemon juice, yogurt and tahini. Add the garlic and salt, and blend with the eggplant. Add salt to taste if it’s not salty enough.
• Place the puree on a pretty plate and make a little scoop in the middle. Fill it with olive oil and sprinkle with sumac.

If you make this recipe show us your photos! We’re on Instagram at @BCFM.

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At the Market: Eggplant is the sweet your savory is seeking - Boulder Daily Camera
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