I love to grow them. They hide out trellised against a fence behind my garden bed. They’re a beautiful deep shade of purple, long and elegant. But unlike tomatoes, you can’t just chop them up and toss them in a salad. Eggplants need to be cooked. Japanese or Asian eggplants are more delicate than their Italian globe brethren. They cook faster, the peels are thinner, and the cooked flesh is creamier. An easy way to cook this type of eggplant is to grill it, either on a grill or in a grill pan, with high, searing heat. Don’t be afraid of those char marks! They’re delicious. The best part. These grilled eggplant we are serving with a creamy sesame tahini sauce, which works beautifully with the eggplant (and would go great with other veggies as well.) I have only a few recipes for my garden Japanese eggplants and am always looking for more. So if you have any ideas, please let me know about them in the comments!
1/4 cup roasted sesame tahini 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Thai basil, for garnish
Lay in a tray and sprinkle the exposed, scored side with salt. Let sit at least 20 minutes (or up to an hour or more) while the grill is coming to temperature and while you make the tahini sauce. The salt will help draw out excess moisture from the eggplants. (You can also use a mortar and pestle to grind the garlic with the salt and sugar until it is a smooth paste, then whisk together all of the ingredients.) When they are well seared on one side, flip them over and cook on the other side until the eggplants are cooked all the way through, another couple minutes or so. Brush again with a little olive oil.
