With only a small number of locally grown vegetables available now, we continue to explore eggplant recipes and have included another one this week. Along with the eggplant, we would suggest serving the spicy pork kabobs which we found in From Tapas to Meze by Joanne Weir, Crown Publishers 1994 and some marinated cucumbers (another thing that can be found in abundance right now). One of our favorite preparations for cucumbers comes from The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer and Marion Rombauer Becker. Our 1963 copy of this classic cookbook has tape on the binding and spots on a number of the pages. It has been well used and is always the definitive word on any standard recipe or cooking technique (and who else would tell you how to prepare blackbirds and crows if necessity demanded?). Without the "Joy" and Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, et al, we would probably never have learned to cook. Both books have a special place on our kitchen shelves and we recently realized that we should write a letter to Julia Child thanking her for making us realize that we, too, could learn to make crepes and other things that, at the time, sounded so exotic.
Ingredients:
In a mortar, pound the garlic with a pinch of salt to make a paste; place in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Put the coriander seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, thyme, cayenne and curry powder in a dry skillet. Over medium heat, cook, stirring, until hot and aromatic, about 30-45 seconds. Remove spices from the pan, put into the mortar, and grind to make a fine powder. Combine the garlic paste, spices, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, 3/4 tsp salt, pepper and pork cubes. Toss well to coat completely and let marinate several hours, mixing occasionally.
Prepare grill according to manufacturer's directions. Skewer the pork. Grill over hot coals, turning every two to three minutes and basting with marinade, until well browned, about 15 minutes. 3 servings.
Ingredients:
Thoroughly scrub eggplants. Remove and discard stems. Cut the eggplants in half and scoop out the pulp, leaving a 1/2 inch shell. Place the pulp from the eggplants into a colander. Sprinkle the hollowed-out shells and the pulp with salt and let stand for 30-45 minutes. Rinse both the pulp and the shells thoroughly and dry.
Dice the bacon and saute in a large skillet until golden brown. Pour half the bacon grease into a container and reserve. In the remaining bacon grease, saute the onion and garlic over low heat until soft. Add the rinsed and dried eggplant pulp along with additional bacon grease, if necessary. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until soft. Add the tomato sauce and parsley and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the grated cheese and bacon and heat through. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat broiler. Brush outside of eggplant shells with olive oil and place on baking sheets. Place under broiler and broil just until the skin begins to bubble. Remove from oven and drain on paper towels. Preheat oven to 375°. Fill each eggplant shell with the tomato and pulp mixture until mounded and place in baking dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Serve hot or lukewarm. 4 servings.
Ingredients:
Cucumbers
Salt
Sour cream
Freshly chopped dill
Peel and slice cucumbers very thin. Layer the slices in a bowl, salting each layer. Place a weight over the cumbers and refrigerate 3 to 6 hours. Thoroughly rinse in cold water and dry on paper towels. Toss the cucumber slices with sour cream and top with chopped dill. Alternatively,
Ingredients:
Peel, slice, layer and refrigerate cucumbers as above. Rinse in cold water, drain and pat dry on paper towels. Place the cucumber slices in a mixing bowl and toss with vinegar, sugar dissolved in water and season to taste. Chill 1 to 2 hours and serve topped with chopped dill. 3 servings.
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