Aubergines

[headfullofbees]

Don't grow particularly well in my climate, (NW England), but they can be cultivated in a cold greenhouse reasonably successfully, especially if a vigorous hybrid variety is chosen.
This is F1 Moneymaker No.2 in my garden greenhouse, and I'll try to get some photos from my allotment greenhouse soon:

 

[Corzhens]

Your plants look very healthy. When my husband went to London for a brief work assignment, he was trying to amuse me. He said that he would cook aubergine for me. And that vegetable dish is a craze in London. I was really surprised that he was only joking because aubergine is actually eggplant here. Although I understand that eggplants are long and aubergines are round.

 

[Beth_B]

I thought aubergine was just the European word for what we here call eggplants, regardless of type?
Anyway I'm not growing any this year, but last year I grew some variety of miniature eggplant and it was some of my earliest veggies to ripen.

 

[Pat]

The name threw me off. Eggplants are not my favorite to harvest so I have never grown them. If I did I would give them all away as I do not eat eggsplants, I am sure it is just because I have not found a good way to cook them.

 

[headfullofbees]

Solanum melongena.

Eggplant is the US name for Aubergine (French/English).
Melanzena is Italian, Melitzano Greek.

I tend to use it in one of four ways, melitzanosalata (Greek dip with garlic, lemon juice, olive oil), papoutsakia (little shoes), sliced rubbed with garlic and barbequeued, or the old favourite, ratatouille.

 

[IcyBC]

Your plant looked healthy and that aubergine is amazing. I love eggplants but don't often make it myself since no one in my family like it! There are a few variety of eggplants in our supermarket, but my favorite is the fat oval shape ones.

 

[Corzhens]

We cook eggplants in 2 ways - frying in butter or boiled. When fried in butter, it can serve as a good garnishing for fried meat or fish. When boiled, it is also a good match for fried fish. However, there should be a dip for flavoring, i.e. vinegar with shrimp paste. Boiled eggplant has a bland taste although the oldsters day that it has lots of vitamins.

 

[Esther Knapicius]

love them grilled. And I will grill many thick slices, sliced long or round, drizzled with good olive oil, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Eaten hot off the grill with a good steak or chicken. when cold, love them in a sandwich with fresh garden tomatoes, and a light cheese, pesto spread on the bread too.

Made eggplant parm once did not like how the house filled with the oil smell, if I do that again, will bread them outside. But usually order eggplant parm in a good Italian restaurant. .

 

[PipGirl]

Esther - when I make eggplant parm, I bake the breaded eggplant slices to eliminate the oiliness. To prevent dryness, squirt a little olive oil on them before you bake them (375 for about 15 minutes in my convention oven). Then just layer with tomato sauce, mushroom onions etc and bake as usual per your recipe.

 

[R.R.]

Solanum melongena.

Eggplant is the US name for Aubergine (French/English).
Melanzena is Italian, Melitzano Greek.

Albergínia in my language, Catalan

 

[gata montes]

Solanum melongena.

Eggplant is the US name for Aubergine (French/English).
Melanzena is Italian, Melitzano Greek.

Although pronounced differently its Aubergine in German and Dutch too.

As eggplant is very popular in Mediterranean countries - these may also help

Brungiel in Maltese
and
Berenjena or " la planta de huevos " in Spanish

Oh and although it may just have been a " typo " - the Italian for eggplant is with an 'a' not an 'e' - melanzana - meaning " noxious fruit " - but be warned " melanzana " is also often used as a derogatory term rather being just the name for an eggplant

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Esther - when I make eggplant parm, I bake the breaded eggplant slices to eliminate the oiliness. To prevent dryness, squirt a little olive oil on them before you bake them (375 for about 15 minutes in my convention oven). Then just layer with tomato sauce, mushroom onions etc and bake as usual per your recipe.

just had a thought, what I could do is fry them up on my iron skillet on top of the grill outside and proceed.

 

[headfullofbees]

Although pronounced differently its Aubergine in German and Dutch too.

As eggplant is very popular in Mediterranean countries - these may also help

Brungiel in Maltese
and
Berenjena or " la planta de huevos " in Spanish

Oh and although it may just have been a " typo " - the Italian for eggplant is with an 'a' not an 'e' - melanzana - meaning " noxious fruit " - but be warned " melanzana " is also often used as a derogatory term rather being just the name for an eggplant

Compare with BRINJAL, which comes from S Asia, SE Asia and S. Africa.

 

[PipGirl]

just had a thought, what I could do is fry them up on my iron skillet on top of the grill outside and proceed.

Sounds like a plan ...