Is the eggplant the most underappreciated vegetable in America? I know many people who swear they’ll never eat eggplant, but maybe they’re not recognizing the vegetable when it’s disguised as fries at Rathbun’s or baba ganoush at the neighborhood deli. Eggplant can be baked, broiled, scalloped, grilled, stuffed and is terrific in stir fries.
Vicky Fry of Fry Farm in the north Walton County community of Bethlehem likes her eggplant grilled, roasted in the oven, stir fried or baked in lasagna. Boiled in salted water or roasted with a little olive oil, the slices of eggplant make a no-carb substitute for lasagna noodles.
Fry has been raising eggplant and other vegetables since she was a kid growing up in Walton County. When her dad retired, she recruited him to help her accomplish her dream of farming. Three years ago, they began selling their vegetables at the Suwanee Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and Tuesday afternoons.
“My husband Steve joined me for that first market day and he was hooked, too. The camaraderie between the farmers and the customers is hard to describe. We love it,” she said.
This month Fry has crowder peas, okra, lots of peppers, pumpkins and eggplant for sale. She grows the small round ‘Kano’ Japanese eggplant and two long slender varieties, ‘Hansel’ and ‘Millionaire’. Because she picks her eggplant young, the skins are always tender, so no peeling required.
“One of the reasons I like these varieties is that they produce a lot of eggplants and they have a tender skin. That means my customers don’t have to worry about seeds and they can eat the skin which is loaded with antioxidants and flavor,” she said.
Typical shelf life for an eggplant is 10 to 14 days if kept refrigerated.
What’s happening at local farmers markets
For sale at the markets
Fruit: apples, Asian pears, Concord (sic) grapes, melons, muscadines, pears.
Vegetables and herbs: Arugula, beans, beets, broccoli, butter beans, carrots, cucumbers, edamame, eggplant, field peas, garlic, kale, lettuce, mushrooms, okra, onions, southern peas, peppers, potatoes, summer squash, tomatoes, winter squash.
New market hours:
Sandy Springs Farmers Market
8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
For information: www.sandyspringsfarmersmarket.com
Events this week:
Cooking demos:
Saturday, September 18, 9:30 a.m.
Chef Joshua Hopkins, Abattoir
Morningside Farmers’ Market
For information: www.morningsidemarket.com
Saturday, September 18; 10:00 a.m.
Chef Jenny Levison, Souper Jenny
Peachtree Road Farmers Market
For information: www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com
Other events:
Saturday, September 18, 8:00 a.m. – noon
Astronomy demonstration: Bill Smith of Snellville Astronomy
Snellville Farmers’ Market
For information: www.snellvillefarmersmarket.com
Produce from elsewhere
Just coming in: McIntosh and Gala apples from New York and Michigan, Gala and Golden Delicious apples from the mid-Atlantic states, West coast onions, Washington pears, Wisconsin potatoes, Virginia pumpkins, Georgia summer squash, California and Mississippi sweet potatoes.
Going out of season: Mexican mangoes, peaches, California plums
From local reports, USDA Market News
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Chicken and Eggplant In Black Bean Sauce
Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Asian eggplants have skins that are generally so tender they don’t require peeling. Black bean sauce is one of those prepared flavoring sauces available in the Asian food section of well-stocked grocery stores or at DeKalb Farmers Market or Harry’s. Serve this dish with rice or plain cooked ramen noodles.
2 tablespoons black bean sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 boneless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 large Asian eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch (one half) slices
1/2 (one half) medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 (one half) bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
In a small bowl, combine black bean sauce, lime juice, ginger and honey. Set aside.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. When very hot, add chicken. Stirring constantly, cook chicken until done, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Keep warm.
Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, eggplant, onion and bell pepper to wok and cook 5 minutes or until eggplant is tender. Return chicken to wok and add black bean sauce mixture. Cook for 1 minute. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Adapted from the blog, What Did You Eat?
Per serving: 445 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 12 grams protein, 32 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 32 grams fat (4 grams saturated), 28 milligrams cholesterol, 227 milligrams sodium.
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