In the kitchen: Pan-fried Oriental Eggplant with ginger and lime

Pan-fried eggplant along side Indian spiced quinoa

Each year we try to grow something in a garden that is more unusual than most things you can find in your local grocery store. This year, we went with Oriental  Eggplants and while we were excited about them- so were the insects in our area. Some type of insect all but decimated the leaves BUT we have still been able to garner one lovely eggplant so far.


Because this could be the only one of them that we grow this year, I wanted to make it into a side dish that would show off its taste and texture. I ended up cubing then pan-frying it and adding flavors that paid homage to it's eastern lineage. Here's the recipe:

What you need:
1 Oriental Eggplant, halved then cubed
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, finely sliced
1 Tbs. fresh chopped ginger
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes
Juice of 1/2 a lime

The plan:
Over medium-high heat add olive oil, ginger and shallots. Once the shallots become soft, add your eggplant and cook until sides have become crisp and golden brown. Place in a bowl and toss with lime juice and chili flakes. Serve warm.

It really is that simple but between the zing of the ginger, heat of the chilis, and tanginess of the lime the flavors become more complex than the dish itself. I also love the crispy texture of the outside of the eggplant matched with the softer inside. Just one eggplant will make a small side for two people so increase the recipe quantity if you are luckier than us and grow/obtain more than one!

In the kitchen: Syracuse Salt Potatoes

A few lazy Sunday afternoons ago, I was watching my favorite PBS Channel, CREATE, and this recipe popped up on America's Test Kitchen. Not only did it look extremely simple, it included my favorite ingredient of all time. Salt.

I'm pretty sure my love of salt is the product of some sort of mineral deficiency in my body because, seriously, I have to have it. And I think that's pretty evident in a couple other recipe's I've written about here and here.

The coolest part of this particular cooking process has to be the crystallization of the salt on the potatoes. The pictures don't do it justice because they actually look somewhat glittered in person.

On to the recipe. This is a fabulous side dish that I paired with baked white fish and I have to say, it was a slam dunk. The original recipe calls for a drizzle of clarified chive butter, but since we haven't started growing chives yet, I went with some rosemary we had dried from last summer.

Here it is:

Syracuse Salt Potatoes
From the episode: Northern Cookout
You will need 1 1/4 cups of non-iodized table salt, 11/2 cups of Morton kosher salt, or 2 1/2 cups of Diamond Crystal kosher salt to equal 14 ounces.
Serves 6 to 8.  

Ingredients

8	cups water
14	ounces salt (see note)
3	pounds small red potatoes or small white potoates, scrubbed
8	tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter , cut into pieces
2	tablespoons minced fresh chives
1	teaspoon pepper

Instructions

1. 1. Bring water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in salt and potatoes and cook until potatoes are just tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and transfer to wire rack set over baking sheet. Let dry until salty crust forms, about 1 minute.
2. 2. Meanwhile, microwave butter, chives, and pepper in medium bowl until melted, about 1 minute. Transfer potatoes to serving bowl and serve, passing butter at table.

For a little history on where this potato preparation originated from, check out this great article.