eggplant

mixed vegetables with thyme / verdure miste al timo

| Simona

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mixed vegetable with thyme
mixed vegetable with thyme
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge1. In post-war Paris, a woman is found murdered in the basement of the building where Paul and Julia Child live, and the murder weapon is a knife from Julia’s kitchen. If this brief introduction sounds intriguing, you’ll probably enjoy the book. I’m afraid I didn’t find the novel believable.2

The narrator, a young woman named Tabitha, lives with her grandfather not far from the Childs and befriends Julia. He grows a variety of herbs (erbe aromatiche) in his greenhouse:

There were rows of planters in the dome-shaped room… filled with herbs like tarragon, chervil, rosemary, thyme, basil, and of course, catnip. (dragoncello, cerfoglio, rosmarino, timo, basilico, erba gatta)

Thyme is probably my favorite herb and I use it with abandon, most recently on the first summer vegetables that have made their appearance at the farmers’ market.Usually, I strip the leaves, but sometimes I add the sprigs (rametti) whole, and remove the almost bare stems at the end, before serving. The tenderest ones blend with the vegetables and are undetectable when eating.

Last month, I spent a week in Los Osos, a town on the Central Coast of California, south of Morro Bay. The Monday farmers’ market there is one of my favorite: small, but offering a rich variety of produce. Also, with respect to the markets in Northern California, it was ahead of time in terms of summer vegetables. As a result, while there I ate the first zucchini (zucchine) and tomatoes of the season and even some sweet peppers. I also found glorious bunches of carrots (carote).

bunches of carrots at the Los Osos farmers’ market
bunches of carrots at the Los Osos farmers’ market: irresistible

At the San Rafael farmers’ market, I recently scored the first eggplant (melanzane) of the season and at the Arcata farmers market, I put in my bag a beautiful head of escarole (scarola): it a type of endive, slightly bitter, and delightfully so. I like to use the outer leaves (foglie esterne) cooked with other vegetables, as in the recipe below, while I add the inner, tenderer leaves to salads. Using carrots and escarole in the same dish creates a delicious bittersweet combination.

summer vegetables
summer vegetables are here!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO

The dish is easy to make and cooks fairly quickly. I finish it with some flavorful creamy white miso3 from a local producer. As is, the dish is vegan. You can enrich it with eggs, cheese or, to keep it vegan, nutritional yeast.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Mixed vegetables with thyme

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces / 85 grams (2) carrots
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces / 112 grams red spring onion, diced small
  • 1/4 teaspoon Harissa spice mix
  • A handful of thyme sprigs
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 4 ounces / 113 grams eggplant (1 small)
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml hot water
  • 4 ounces / 113 grams escarole leaves
  • 8 ounces /225 grams zucchini (Black Beauty, Costata Romanesco, Magda, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon white miso or 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface to remove a thin layer of skin, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Warm up the olive oil in a 10-inch/25-cm deep sauté pan.

Add the onion, lower the heat and stir, then after 1 minute, add the grated carrot and stir. After 2 minutes, sprinkle the harissa spice mix, add the thyme, and stir well. Cook on low heat for another 2 minutes, stirring often.

In the meantime, trim top and bottom of the eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch / 6 mm slices lengthwise, then cut each slice into small dice.

Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir. After 1 minute, add the diced eggplant and stir, then add the water and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring a few times.

Wash and drain the escarole leaves, halve them lengthwise then slice them crosswise into 1-inch / 2.5 cm strips.

Add the escarole to the pan, stir well, cover and cook for 4 minutes.

In the meantime, trim the zucchini, then grate them using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.

Add the zucchini, turn up the heat to medium and stir well. Cover the pan, lower the heat and cook for 4 minutes or so, until the zucchini are just tender.

Uncover, add the white miso and stir until well blended (or sprinkle the sea salt and stir).

Remove from the heat and serve warm.

Serves 3-4.

I have already prepared this dish several times and I see myself doing it often this summer.

1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
2 Review on Kirkus Reviews
3 From Palmer Creek Farm’s Instagram feed: photo of the white miso, made with rice koji and white beans. To learn more about koji, miso, and what Richard Wagner makes, you can read the article I wrote for the North Coast Journal, which peeks from under the containers of miso in the photo.

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logoThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and yogurt / melanzane arrosto con sugo di pomodoro e yogurt

| Simona

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versione in italiano

roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and yogurt
eggplant and tomatoes: summer on a plate
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The combination of eggplant and tomatoes is a favorite of mine. A summer dish I particularly enjoy is my version of parmigiana di melanzane, where I roast the two main ingredients and use two types of cheese1. A few years ago, I made a Persian dish that brings together eggplant and tomatoes with yellow split pea1. Eggplant is a popular vegetable in the Middle East, as baba ganoush lovers may know. Recently I discovered a couple of eggplant recipes from Afghanistan, including Borani Banjan, a dish made with slices of fried eggplant (melanzane fritte) simmered in tomato sauce and served topped with yogurt.

eggplant, tomatoes, onion
farm fresh ingredients and my homemade yogurt
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

I found versions in which the eggplant is roasted2 (the garlic too) or grilled3 (the onion too).  My version takes inspiration from those and adds some personal touches. I made it a few times to try different options and below is my current favorite.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and yogurt

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 pounds / 20 ounces / 560 grams eggplant (globe eggplant or similar)
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams fresh red or Walla Walla onion
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4-6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 pound / 450 grams fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 ounces / 1/2 cup / 112 grams low-fat or whole milk plain yogurt
  • water to dilute the yogurt, as needed
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or thyme leaves

Heat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.

Line two baking sheets (or one baking sheet and one cookie sheet) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.

Trim the eggplant and cut them crosswise into slices 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the slices and toss them with you hands. Distribute the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a bit of space around each slice.

Cut the onion lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch / 0.6 cm thick. If the slices are long, cut them in half crosswise. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the slices and toss them with you hands, separating the layers. Distribute the onion on the other prepared baking sheet or the cookie sheet.

Wrap the garlic cloves into aluminum foil, 2-3 cloves per small packet. Place the packets on the same sheet as the onion.

Place the sheets in the oven next to each other or the one with the onion on a rack above the other. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.

Take the sheets out of the oven. With a fork, flip the eggplant slices and with a spoon, toss the onion (make sure it does not burn). Put the sheets back in the oven, switching their position. Bake for 10 minutes. Take the sheets out of the oven. Let the vegetables cool for a few minutes, then transfer the eggplant onto a plate and the onion into a bowl. Unwrap the garlic cloves.

In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with their juices.

In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns pale golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, paprika, turmeric, sea salt and pepper and bring to a lively simmer. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have broken down and become saucy, 6 minutes or so.

Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin and place it into a small bowl. Mash with a small fork, then add the yogurt, stir and mash some more to make sure the garlic blends into the yogurt. If needed, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the yogurt is the consistency of thin pancake batter and can be drizzled. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Add the onion to the tomatoes and stir well. Nestle the eggplant slices into the sauce and spoon some of the sauce over them. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the eggplant slices are very tender and have absorbed some of the sauce, but still retain their shape, 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let cool.

To serve, divide the eggplant and their sauce among individual plates, drizzle the yogurt on top and sprinkle the mint or thyme. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 4

1 From briciole’s archive: Roasted eggplant with tomatoes and cheese and Eggplant and yellow split pea stew
2 Recipe for Afghan Roasted Eggplant (Borani Banjan) on the blog All that’s Jas
3 Recipe for Afghan-Style Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Sauce, Yogurt and Herbs in the Washington Post

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

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graph divider

melanzane arrosto con sugo di pomodoro e yogurt

roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and yogurt
melanzane e pomodori: l’estate sul piatto
(tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

Arrivati alla lettera M del nostro viaggio nel mondo degli ingredienti ho scelto di preparare un piatto con le melanzane, una delle mie verdure preferite, particolarmente abbinate ai pomodori. Cercando un piatto tradizionale di uno dei paesi dove non siamo ancora state, ne ho trovati un paio dall’Afghanistan, tra i quali Borani Banjan: fette di melanzana fritte, ripassate in sugo di pomodoro e servite con sopra dello yogurt.

eggplant, tomatoes, onion
ingredienti freschi dal mercato dei produttori e yogurt fatto in casa
(tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)

Ho trovato versioni nelle quali le melanzane sono cotte al forno1 (e anche l’aglio) o sulla griglia2 (e anche la cipolla). La mia versione si ispira a queste ricette e aggiunge qualche tocco personale. L’ho fatta diverse volte per provare dettagli diversi e qui sotto è la mia preferita. Vi ricordo che 1 cucchiaio = 15 ml e 1 cucchiaino = 5 ml.

Ingredienti:

  • 560 grammi di melanzane globose
  • 170 grammi di cipolla rossa
  • 2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
  • 4-6 spicchi d’aglio non pelati
  • 1 cucchiaio / 15 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
  • 3 spicchi d’aglio, pelati e tritati
  • 450 grammi di pomodori freschi, maturi e sugosi
  • 1/2 cucchiaino di paprika dolce
  • 1/4 cucchiaino di curcuma in polvere
  • 1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero macinato fresco
  • 1/2 teaspoon di sale fino
  • 112 grammi di yogurt bianco intero o parzialmente scremato non dolcificato
  • acqua per diluire lo yogurt, q.b.
  • 2 cucchiai di foglie di menta or timo tritate

Scaldate il forno a 200 C.

Foderate due placche da forno con tappetino da forno di silicone o carta da forno.

Tagliate le melanzane per largo a fettine spesse 1,25 cm. Spruzzate 1 cucchiaio e mezzo di olio d’oliva sulle fettine e mescolatele con le mani per oliarle. Distribuite le fettine sulla placca più grande lasciando un pochino di spazio intorno a ciascuna fettina.

Tagliate la cipolla per lungo a fettine spesse 0,6 cm. Se le fettine sono lunghe, taliatele a metà per largo. Spruzzate 1/2 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva sulle fettine e mescolatele con le mani per oliarle, allo stesso tempo separando gli strati. Spargete la cipolla sull’altra placca.

Avvolgete l’aglio nella carta stagnola, 2-3 spicchi per pacchetto e mettete i pacchetti sulla placca con la cipolla.

Infornate le placche una accanto all’altra o mettendo quella con le cipolle un livello sopra a quella con la cipolla. Cuocete le verdure in forno per 15 minuti.

Sfornate le placche. Con una forchetta, girate le fettine di melanzana e con un cucchiaio mescolate la cipolla. Rimettete le placche in forno scambinado la loro posizione. Cuocete per 10 minuti. Sfornate e fate intiepidire le verdure per qualche minuto, poi trasferite le melanzane su un piatto e la cipolla in una ciotola. Scartate gli spicchi d’aglio.

Nel frattempo, tagliate a pezzi i pomodori e metteteli in una ciotola con il sugo che rilasciano.

In una padella larga e profonda, scaldate 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva a calore medio-basso. Aggiungete l’aglio tritato e cuocetelo, mescolando, fino a quando sia biondo, 1 minuto circa. Aggiungete i pomodori, la paprika, la curcuma, sale e pepe e portare a leggero bollore. Coprite e cuocete, mescolando frequentemente, fino a quando i pomodori siano ridotti ad un sugo, circa 6 minuti.

Sbucciate l’aglio arrosto e mettetelo in una ciotolina. Schiacciatelo con una piccola forchetta poi aggiungete lo yogurt e mescolate in modo da incorporare la crema d’aglio. Aggiungete acqua, 1 cucchiaio alla volta, fino a quando lo yogurt abbia la consistenza della pastella e potete spruzzarlo. Coprite e tenete in frigorifero fino a quando state per utilizzarlo.

Aggiungete le cipolle ai pomodori e mescolate bene. Mettete le fettine di melanzana nella padella e con un cucchiaio copritele con del sugo. Coprite e cuocete a fuoco basso fino a quando le melanzane siano molto tenere e abbiano assorbito parte del sugo, ma mantengano la loro forma, circa 5 minuti. Togliete le verdure dal fuoco e fatele intiepidire.

Dividete le melanzane e il loro sugo su piatti individuali, cospargetele di yogurt e distribuite la menta o timo. Servite le melanzane calde o a temperatura ambiente.

Porzioni: 4.

1 Ricetta per Afghan Roasted Eggplant (Borani Banjan) sul blog All that’s Jas (in inglese)
2 Ricetta per Afghan-Style Grilled Eggplant With Tomato Sauce, Yogurt and Herbs sul Washington Post (in inglese)

Un mondo d'ingredienti logolettera M logoContribuisco le mie melanzane dall’Afghanistan alla lettera M di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara

FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall’azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes / melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

| Simona

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eggplant zucchini tomatoes garlic / IMG_3401

farm fresh and fabulous
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown1, a novel that follows the stories of two women, Alice and Eleanor (Nellie). In 2018, Alice and her husband, Nate, move from Manhattan to a house in a town outside New York sold because the previous owner had died. In the basement, Alice finds a cookbook and a box of old magazines. Her neighbor, Sally, tells her a bit about Eleanor, who lived in the house from the mid-1950’s until her death, and gives Alice a set of letters written by Eleanor to her own mother.

The novel alternates between Alice and Eleanor, both struggling in their marriage and holding secrets from their husband, both dealing with the expectations around childbearing, both trying to find their place in the world. As her husband becomes more and more violent, Nellie finds refuge with Miriam, her neighbor and Sally’s mother, just like Alice finds a friend in Sally.

In the sections devoted to Nellie, we see her cooking dishes from a beloved cookbook that belonged to her mother, Elsie. After Alice finds the cookbook, she tries some recipes. Each recipe is given within context: for example, cookies prepared for a neighborhood meeting, Baked Alaska for a dinner party. The nicest recipe-related scene is the one where Nellie recalls making Lemon Lavender Muffins with her mother in their small kitchen. Nellie does almost everything, while Elsie prepares the lavender buds (two teaspoons) and reminds Nellie not to overstir the batter.

One of the recipes in the book is for Tuna Casserole, which uses canned tuna and canned mushroom soup. This type of ingredients is part of casseroles’ success.

[T]he casserole—the all-American meal-in-a-dish that lured skilled cooks of the early 1900s away from the art of scratch recipes to the mechanics of convenience cooking, thus launching a new category in American-style cuisine.

Casseroles could, conversely, lure today’s convenience cooks back into the kitchen, if only to open a can of Campbell’s mushroom soup and throw a handful of noodles, cashews and celery stubs into a dish that would become that evening’s–and maybe even tomorrow’s–supper.2

In the summer, when fresh vegetables abound, I prefer to eat fresh vegetables. Still, I held to the idea of making a baked dish with a small number of ingredients. Rather than taking those from the pantry, I got them from the farmers’ market. This is the time of the year when it is easy to overdo with purchases. A dish of roasted vegetables is a way to make sure you use all your purchases. The side dish is great when freshly baked and leftovers (avanzi) are delicious.

roasted eggplant zucchini and tomatoes / IMG_3411 (1)

maybe not the prettiest dish, but so tasty!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The dish is not particularly pretty, but the raw ingredients are. Recently I’ve been photographing sets of vegetables fresh from the farmers’ market, edible still lives. It’s hard not to be fascinated by the colors: in the photo at the top the eggplant Listada de Gandia is marbled purple, the zucchini Costata Romanesco are light green and speckled and the tomatoes on the vine are Edox3 perfectly red. The herb on the right is winter savory4 (santoreggia montana) from my garden, an herb I use a lot in my cooking.

It is fine to use other varieties of eggplant and zucchini. In fact, the rendition pictured above and below included a purple globe eggplant and I have also used Chinese eggplant (from a favorite vendor at the South Berkeley farmers’ market, who also introduced me to Chinese bitter melon and Korean melon) and yellow zucchini.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 eggplant (or 2 small ones) 12 ounces / 340 grams
  • 2 zucchini 9 ounces / 250 grams
  • 6 ounces / 170 grams cherry plum, cherry or grape tomatoes: a variety that is good for roasting
  • 2 plums or 1 peach 4 ounces / 112 grams, optional but good
  • 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh leaves of winter savory or thyme or a mix of the two
  • 1/4 teaspoon Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning OR a pinch each of ground paprika, cumin, black pepper, ancho or chipotle pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.

Distribute the olive oil on the bottom of a 3 quart / 3 liter (13″x 9″ x 2″ / 33 x 23 x 5 cm) glass baking dish.

Dice all the vegetables. Eggplant: slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick), then pile 2-3 slices and dice. Zucchini: quarter them lengthwise then slice crosswise (no more than 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick). If the zucchini is plump, divide each half into thirds lengthwise before slicing. Tomatoes: halve the small ones, quarter the larger ones, lengthwise. Cut the fruit in bite-sized pieces.

Place all the vegetables and fruit, if using, in the baking dish, sprinkle the herb(s) and seasoning (or spices). Stir to mix. Place the baking dish in the oven. After 20 minutes, take the baking dish out of the oven and stir the vegetables. After another 5 minutes, check a piece of eggplant and a piece of zucchini: the dish may be done or may need a few more minutes.

When the vegetables are ready, take the baking dish out of the oven, sprinkle the sea salt and stir. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve out of the baking dish or transfer onto a serving dish and serve. 

Serves 4

IMG_3405

ready for the oven

I confess that I eat the first portion straight out of the baking dish.

1 The novel’s page on the author’s website
2 Casseroles – Main courses for baby boomers in the 50’s, these classic American dishes are easy to prepare, low cost and nutritious [from the LA Times].
3 About Edox tomato
4 About Savory
5 Penzey’s Arizona Dreaming Seasoning contains ancho chili pepper, black pepper, onion, garlic, paprika, spices, cumin, citric acid, Mexican oregano, cilantro, lemon peel, chipotle pepper, red pepper, jalapeño, cocoa and natural smoke flavoring. [I do not have any business relationship with the company. This is the product I use and I share the link as information.]

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia

or launch the melanzane, zucchine e pomodori in teglia audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Debra of Eliot’s Eats. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linens free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, side dish, Italian cuisine

recipe: roasted eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes

| Simona

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eggplant and yellow split pea stew / stufato di melanzane e piselli gialli decorticati

| Simona
eggplant and yellow split pea stew / IMG_2791

eggplant meets split peas
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our Cook the Books Club selection this time brings us to Iran, thanks to Jennifer Klinec, author of the memoir The Temporary Bride.1 The book starts with the story of Klinec's upbringing in Canada, her move to London to follow her corporate career and her decision to leave such career in favor of opening a cooking school out of her apartment. That is the background to her trip to Iran: Persian food called out to her and dissatisfaction with her life added its weight. In Iran, she meets a young man and the story of their relationship and attendant tribulations takes up the rest of the book. I found the first part of the story more interesting. Once Klinec arrives in Iran, the book could not hold my attention and my progress in reading was slow.

While traditional Persian dishes feature in the book, there are no recipes. I did some reading, focusing on eggplant, a favorite vegetable that I can still find at the farmers' market here. I also wanted a vegetarian dish, so ended up on a vegetarian version of Khoresht gheymeh bademjan, stew of split peas (gheymeh) and eggplant (bademjan). I had never cooked with split peas before so this gave me a great chance to change that.

a variety of eggplant / DSC_8227 (1)

some eggplant varieties: I like them all (any could be used in the stew)

I read a number of recipes2 then went off on my own to create a dish with an infusion of personal preferences. In particular, I did not fry the eggplant and cut them into bite-sized pieces rather than large ones. I also made my own tomato sauce (salsa di pomodoro), taking advantage of farm-fresh tomatoes from the market. I forwent saffron (zafferano): I tried to get some, but the price was above my budget. I tested different quantities of the other spices and the recipe below reflects my favorite rendition.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Eggplant and yellow split pea stew

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup / 100 g yellow split peas
  • 2 cups / 475 ml water
  • 3 tablespoons / 45 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 ounces red or yellow onion, finely diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • Peel of 1/2 lemon, grated with a microplane
  • 10 ounces tomatoes for sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml water
  • 10 ounces eggplant
  • 1/4 cup / 60 ml water
  • 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

Put the split peas in a small saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer until the peas are tender (i.e., you can mash them easily when pressed between your fingers). The cooking time depends on the peas: check them after 30 minutes and regularly after that time. When ready, take the saucepan off the heat, uncover and set aside.

Rinse the tomatoes and cut a cross through their skin at the bottom. Blanch the tomatoes in a small saucepan holding enough boiling water to almost submerge the tomatoes. After 30 seconds, take the saucepan off the heat, pour out the boiling water and cover the tomatoes in cold water. Drain, peel and chop the tomatoes into a bowl. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or sauté pan, warm up the olive oil on medium heat, turn down the heat to medium-low and cook the onion for 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the garlic and grated lemon peel, stir and cook for 2 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes and all the spices (cumin, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, pepper, and cinnamon), stir well, add 1/4 cup / 60 ml of water, stir, cover and continue cooking for 5 minutes, regulating the heat so as to maintain a gentle boil.

In the meantime, cut the eggplant crosswise into 1/2-inch / 1.25 cm thick slices, then cube them.

Add the eggplant and the other 1/4 cup / 60 ml of water to the pan, stir well, bring to a boil then regulate the heat to maintain a gentle boil, cover and cook until the eggplant is tender, about 30 minutes (taste a piece after 25 minutes and gauge the time remaining).

Add the split peas and their cooking liquid to the pan. Add the lemon juice and sea salt and stir well. Cook for another 5 minutes, then taste to adjust salt. Take the pan off the heat and serve the stew warm. Enjoy!

Serves 3-4

eggplant and yellow split pea stew / IMG_2790

time to eat!
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The stew is excellent! The original dish is served with basmati rice (the preparation of which features prominently in Persian cuisine). I don't like white rice (long story), so I ate it accompanied by other dishes, like sautéed radicchio di Castelfranco (the variety on the bottom of the photo below). Containing both vegetables and proteins, this stew is a complete and versatile dish.



1 The book introduction on the publisher's website and a review in The Guardian, which also explains the temporary marriage custom.
2 Like this one and also this (if you search for: recipe persian eggplant split peas, you will get a long list of hits)

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

stufato di melanzane e piselli gialli decorticati

or launch the stufato di melanzane e piselli gialli decorticati audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Claudia of Honey from Rock. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

Souper Sundayslogo And I am contributing my stew also to Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays, a weekly event created by Cook the Books club co-host Deb of Kahakai Kitchen.

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.

eggplant, yellow split peas, tomatoes, stew

recipe: eggplant and yellow split pea stew

| Simona

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recipe: Kenyan vegetable curry

| Simona

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Novel Food #4: caponata di melanzane (caponata siciliana) / eggplant (or Sicilian) caponata

| Simona

caponata

Tornò a la casa, raprì il frigorifero. Adelina doviva essiri stata colpita da un’acuta forma di vegetarianesimo. Caponatina e un sublime pasticcio di cacoccioli e spinaci. Conzò il tavolino della verandina e si sbafò la caponatina mentre il pasticcio si quadiava. Appresso, si liccò col pasticcio.

Back in the house, he opened the refrigerator. Adelina must have come down with an acute form of vegetarianism. Caponata and a sublime pasticcio of artichokes and spinach. He set the table on the veranda and wolfed down the caponata as the pasticcio was heating up. Then he reveled in the pasticcio.

As you may have already surmised, it is Salvo Montalbano who has just wolfed down a bowl of caponata (caponatina literally means small caponata), while sitting at the table on his veranda, facing the sea, and listening to its soothing sound. A while ago, Peter of Detectives Beyond Borders mentioned to me the quote above from La luna di carta (The Paper Moon) by Andrea Camilleri and I promised him I would try and make caponata, a traditional Sicilian dish, to celebrate the arrival of summer. And that is what I did, after reading again the novel for good measure and renewed pleasure.

La luna di carta is the story of a murder and it involves two women who, in different ways, attract Montalbano. One of them scores points with Montalbano by sharing with him the need to eat in silence. It is also the story of a Montalbano disturbed by thoughts about his death, a story of dark passions and drug dealing, a satisfying read.

According to the glossary of La Cucina Italiana, caponata “features cubed eggplants, celery, and onions – each one fried separately in a generous amount of olive oil – flavored with tomatoes, raisins, pine nuts, olives, a sprinkling of vinegar, and a touch of sugar for a characteristically sweet-and-sour flavor… Caponata is usually enjoyed as an antipasto in its native Sicily, but it also makes a lovely side dish and is quite delicious spooned onto crisp bread for crostini.

Caponata marries many flavors in an agrodolce (literally, sour-sweet) medley. I love melanzane, so I don’t need special prodding to cook them, but I don’t like them fried, so I bake them. Being a traditional and popular dish means that there are countless recipes for caponata, with ingredients (like bittersweet chocolate) added and subtracted depending on location. There are also different theories about the origin, evolution, and the etymology of its name. Since I don’t have a family recipe to rely on, I felt free to experiment with whatever blueprint I chose. A year ago I read an appealing recipe on Saveur. I made several changes to both its list of ingredients and its procedure, based on my taste and various idiosyncracies. The result of my first attempt was really good, though not quite authentic. I think Sicilians, Montalbano et al., would not agree with my choice of not frying the eggplant, and you are welcome to side with them. Here is the list of the ingredients I used:

  • 2 eggplants, cut into 1/2″-thick slices
  • sea salt
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 anchovies preserved in salt, halved, cleaned and chopped
  • 3 ripe medium tomatoes, briefly immersed in boiling water, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 2 ribs celery, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons blackberry and raspberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons golden raisins
  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted in a dry skillet
  • 2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
  • 12 pitted Kalamata olives, quartered (I like them better than green olives)
  • 1 red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, cored, seeded, and chopped
  • freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil (from my pot)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (from my herb garden)

Note that, with respect to the Saveur recipe, I halved the quantity of vinegar and omitted the sugar. This is because, for my first try, I wanted to keep the sour and sweet flavors a bit toned down. I have a memory of a caponata eaten eons ago that was a bit too vinegary even for the vinegar lover that I am. I also used a berry vinegar instead of a red wine one, for no reason other than because I like it. I love anchovies and make generous use of them. You may decide to be more guarded.

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let them stand for an hour, then remove the excess salt and pat them dry. Distribute on a baking sheet and bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for the same amount of time. When cool, cube (1/2″) the eggplant.

Generously spray with olive oil a pan and add the onion and anchovies. Cook for 5 minutes, then add the celery and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. If the pan becomes dry, add a bit of the juice from the chopped tomatoes. Add tomatoes and turn up the heat to medium-low. Cook 5 minutes, then add the vinegar and tomato paste. Mix to dissolve the paste. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add cooked eggplant, raisins, pine nuts, capers, olives, roasted pepper. Cook until everything is hot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Sprinkle basil and parsley on the top. Let the caponata cool before serving it. Better yet, store the caponata for a day in the fridge, take it out in advance and serve at room temperature.

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I made the caponata before dinner and we ate it lukewarm. I was very happy about the result. The day after, it was definitely better. The flavors of the different ingredients come together in a sumptuous chorus, where each voice is distinguishable, but also works in harmony with the others. Caponata has a rich flavor. It reminds me of Sicily: its colors, its many architectural styles, its composite historical heritage.

Nf_chef_100px_2This is my contribution to the fourth edition of Novel Food, a seasonal literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I concocted a year ago and have been co-hosting ever since.

This post contains my portion of the roundup and a link to Lisa’s portion.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

caponata di melanzane

or launch the  caponata di melanzane  audio file [mp3].

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