Our little veggie garden is reduced this year, we planted only peppers, aubergines and tomatoes as we were too late back from England to plant much more and we will head off to the cooler shores of the English South Coast again before all the vegetables have been harvested.
Never mind, we are still trading with neighbours and this year we have an impressive crop of aubergines (eggplants). Interesting for me as a cook as Big Man has never been a huge fan, but he knows I love them. It makes me think about different ways of serving them to see if I can convert him. I don’t think he’ll be signing up for Aubergine Weekly yet (if such a magazine existed), but he’s eaten everything I’ve made so far without that look on his face. You know, the one children do when they are about to put a sprout/piece of liver/most hated food into their mouth!
Today’s dish was a quick one as it was so hot. We ate it with Socca, but more of that another day.
Ingredients (to serve 2 as a main dish)
- One large aubergine thickly sliced and cooked on the griddle or barbecue on both sides until lightly charred (no need to salt and don’t brush with oil if doing on the bbq as you’ll only end up setting fire to them)
- About two cups of tomato sauce (this was prepared in advance) Soften 3 crushed cloves of garlic in olive oil, then add 1 kilo of crushed peeled tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of tomato purée, half a teaspoon of salt, a few good grinds of black pepper, half a teaspoon of sugar (if required), a glass of red wine and a few stalks of basil leaves. Simmer for about an hour, remove the basil and it’s ready. This will give you about 6-8 cups of sauce
Cut the grilled aubergines into bite sized pieces and simmer in the sauce for about 10 minutes and you’re done! This is also wonderful cold and great over pasta.
Chica Andaluza 
That sounds lovely and I’ve had griddled aubergines on my mind for a week or so 😉
I adore aubergines and have been rather gorging on them the last week or so!
I’m sure I’ll be eating some this week – I’m going to Barcelona for La Festa Major de Gracia. The websites doesn’t do it justice – each street in the bario is decorated differently and of course there’s lots of eating, drinking, music and fireworks. For anyone interested, there are some amazing pictures if you search Google for images.
I haven’t been for 20 years, so I’m very excited 🙂
Hadn’t heard of this one – it sounds wonderful! We seem to have missed most of the fiestas this summer for various reasons and will miss the 15th August celebrations here as we set off to drive to England for a few weeks…barring any further family dramas we’ll be back Up the Mountain for the two local fiestas in September. Have fun…eat drink and be merry!
It’s the time of year to eat like this. I made exactly the same last night, with cous cous and pine nuts and all that jazz. Your pics look mouth wateringly good.
Just saw what you did – the cous cous looked wonderful, love the Moro recipes.
Might get away with it over pasta but the other half doesn’t really do veggies. (bummer 😦 )
Our other halves don’t know what’s good for them!
Looks good, Tanya. I like putting griddled aubergines (with other veg) into a turkey mince lasagne 🙂
Great idea, aubergine does have a good meaty texture, love the sound of your lasagne!
Yummy!
🙂
This looks absolutely amazing! I love aubergine, and so does my husband… I can see us getting a lot of use out of this recipe! Thanks lovely (P.S if that aubergine magazine does eventuate, please let me know as I want to subscribe!) xx
Yay – our first aubergine loving couple! Will keep an eye out for the magazine launch date 🙂
I too have piles of the most beautiful aubergines. Every year they grow without fail. I will be making this tomorrow, it is my kind of food!! Morning tanya!! c
Morning miss c! Good that you have plenty of aubergines, they’re good growers aren’t they….hope you enjoy and have a lovely day 🙂
Even I have an eggplant in the fridge so far without a recipe to its name: may just follow one of these 🙂 ! We are lucky in Australia, as due to the wide climatic conditions and soft winters, most things are in season most of the year, altho’ tomatoes are not so choice at the moment and cost nearly $A5 a kilo!!!
Was talking with pals today about just this subject. In the big supermarkets in Spain you can get most things most of the year. Up the Mountain it’s seasonal produce only but I don’t mind that as everything tastes of what it should. In England the tomato issue is the same …. for the most part flavourless ones unless you pay a huge premium or get lucky in the summer with gorgeous English tomatoes.
Well, enjoy some of those: and all the rest 🙂 ! Shall use most of what I DO have doing what you suggested ; and methinks we shall more than enjoy . . . Funnily, methinks I would noit mind being ‘up the Mountain.’ . . . 🙂 !
I’m undecided about aubergine but I’m willing to give them another go. Great recipe Tanya 🙂
It’s funny – there are so many people who just don’t “do” aubergine…I guess it’s an acquired taste!
This sounds like a quick sauce for Pasta alla Norma and I would really enjoy this, Tanya, with or without the pasta. Grilled eggplant is so good and I bet it adds a lot to this dish — if you don’t set in afire. 🙂
You’re right, it’s a Speedy Norma! I do have to admit to having set fire to a few slices of aubergines (and tea towels are also my speciality) a few times 😦
Thank you for this! I never quite know what to do with aubergines!
I’ll have to post a few more aubergine recipes!
Don’t care what you call them, aubergine, egg plant, brinjal, I love them too.
Fabulous recipe – will have to nip out and buy some purple jobbies.
🙂 Mandy xo
And I forgot that in Italy we call (called!) then Melanzane!
Sounds delish and we have a ridiculous number of aubergines in the fridge right now. I’ve been using them (sliced thin lengthwise) in place of noodles in lasagna. Thanks for the new idea!
And I love your idea – rather like a melanzane parmigiana …yummy!
It is yummy!
That looks excellent! I love aubergines but have trouble eating my way through a whole one before it goes bad. This looks like a great way to use it up.
Yes, some of them can be monsters to get through!
Delicious sauce for the aubergine. I’d like some 🙂
My staple summer sauce!
I always thought I hated these buggers until I actually ate a meal with one. Now I love it!
Yay – another fan!
I love an aubergine!
The aubergine lover gang is growing!
This looks so simple and delicious. I love charred aubergine. There’s something so smoky and wonderful about that taste.
You’re right, cooking it like this really does something special to the flavour!
Bueno…¡qué pinta más buena! Otra receta para conservar 🙂
Gracias Giovanna – espero que lo has pasado bien con la familia y que todo sigue bien con estas vacaciones tan largas!
LOL, I love that you wrote ‘eggplant’ in parenthesis. Your eggplant recipe looks and sounds delicious! Fried with tomato sauce/paste sounds just divine.
D-Man loathes cilantro (coriander, haha), so I sneak it into dishes whenever I can. He’s actually starting to hate it less! Maybe that’s the trick?
Ah, I’m an English gal using my English words! Big Man hates “cilantro” too but like you I sneak it into dishes when I can 🙂
My kind of “tucker”. Heaven in a mushy scented pile and just waiting to be scooped up by some flatbread. YUM. Accompany this with some tahini slathered lemon chickpeas and I am in heaven 🙂
Love the sound of tahini smothered lemon chickpeas 🙂
I loved the sound of your eggplant dish so that makes us even now 🙂
😉
Hmmm. I don’t eat a lot of aubergine or cook them much, but this really makes me crave them. It looks stunningly delicious!
Even Big Man, who is not an aubergine fan, enjoyed them!