Healthy Cooking Eggplant Recipes:

Eggplant, Hot Peppers and Tofu Saute recipe
Mediterranean Eggplant Gratin recipe

Eggplant Solanum melongena

Eggplant is a powerhouse of nutrients including vitamin C, iron, potassium and very high in fiber.  Extremely low in calories and zero cholesterol, incorporating eggplant into fresh, organic recipes especially in summer is a great way to add texture without calories to summer meals.

Eggplant is a versatile vegetable to cook with and can be grilled, broiled, sliced and sauted or used in soups, stews or baked with other vegetables. A mild tasting vegetable, eggplant acts as a sponge to soak up other flavors in dishes and adds texture and color to recipes.

If you grow you own eggplant, leave the skin on when cooking eggplant recipes since the deep purple skin contains beneficial antioxidants and vitamins. If you purchase eggplant in the grocery store and it is not certified organic, I recommend peeling before using in eggplant recipes since eggplants tends to retain pesticides in the outer skin. 

Growing your own eggplant is easy from seed or from transplant. When purchasing eggplant seeds look for organic non-GMO seeds or certified organic eggplant transplants at your local garden center or online.  The harvest season for eggplants for home gardeners start in mid-summer and lasts until early fall or until the first frost. Once your eggplant plants start producing you will have an abundance of these delicious vegetables.

There are many different varieties of eggplant including Black Beauty, Casper and my favorite Long Purple eggplant.