Double Creek Farm at Imbil provided the inspiration for this blog. Tony has been growing hydroponic tomatoes and cucumbers on his property for over 12 months and has recently started producing eggplant.

His passion for growing hydroponic produce as sustainably and as chemical free as possible, and his background in electronics has led the way for him to turn an already existing but inefficient setup into a consistent and productive venture that is building a loyal following amongst devoted locavores in the region.

You can find Double Creek Farm’s produce at the Dagun Growers Market every Saturday afternoon from 3.00pm, and at Imbil Hardware, Pomona Fruit and Vegie Market, Kandanga Butchery, and Gympie Fruit World at Gympie Central Shopping Centre.

Hopefully soon they’ll be available at Kunara in Forest Glen as well.

I’ve always thought that if I was a fruit I wouldn’t be a sweet fruit like a mango, I’d be something more like an eggplant; versatile, able to work well with other ingredients, slightly comical looking, and often misunderstood.

I guess my likeness to this purple beauty is what makes it rank in my top 5 list of favourite fruit and vegetables ever, and why this month I thought I’d share my 5 top ways to cook it and show just how versatile it can be.

A good eggplant should give a little when you squeeze it, not have too many seeds, and not be bitter once you’ve cooked it. The greenness of the tops will give you a fair indication of how long ago it was picked. Buying them direct from the grower or as close to the source as possible is always going to give you a better end product.

Eggplants can be roasted whole, grilled, pickled, pureed, sautéed, steamed, or used as layers in baked dishes. Their sponginess and relatively neutral flavour means they absorb and carry other flavours well and they have a texture unlike any other fruit.

Yep. I love ’em.

Here’s my top five:

1. Babaganoush

Greece, Turkey, and all the countries in the middle east have their own version of babaganoush, usually with the common elements of eggplant, lemon juice, garlic and tahini. Generally served as part of a mezze spread with flat bread to scoop it up and other snacky things, properly made babaganoush  is creamy, smoky and tart and highly addictive.

To make it more smoky, I sometimes start the eggplants directly over an open gas flame on the stove until the skins are blistered and black, then finish them in the oven until they’re very soft.

• 1 large eggplant
• 75gm tahini
• 60ml lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2tbs chopped flat parsley
• salt and pepper

• Roast the eggplant on a BBQ grill or over an open gas flame until the skin is blistered and black.
• Transfer to a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until the flesh is very soft.
• Cool, carefully peel and transfer to a sieve over a bowl to drain any excess liquid.
• For chunky babaganoush, roughly chop the eggplant and mix well with the other ingredients. For a smooth one, put everything into a food processor and blend for a minute or two.
• NB This dip relies on being lemony and salty, so make sure it’s got plenty of both.

2. Eggplant Caviar

This is called eggplant caviar because when you sauté finely diced eggplant in olive oil and add chopped anchovies it has the texture and the fishy flavour of caviar .

It’s really good on grilled sourdough with a squeeze of lemon.

• 1 large eggplant, diced 3-5mm
• 1 golden shallot, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tbs anchovy fillets, minced
• 75ml extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper
• lemon and sourdough to serve

• In a hot pan sauté the eggplant in a little olive oil in a single layer (you might have to do a couple of batches) until it’s golden and soft. Transfer to a colander.
• Saute the shallot, garlic and anchovy in the remaining oil until soft.
• Mix through the eggplant and season with salt and pepper.

3. Escabeche Eggplant

Escabeche is a Spanish pickling method usually used to preserve fish and meats. Often escabeche sardines will feature on tapas menus in seaside towns.  The protein is normally floured and fried, and then a pickling solution of sherry vinegar, olive oil, spices and salt is pour over and allowed to soak through.

Grilled, fried or roasted eggplant slices absorb the flavours of this pickling solution beautifully. This is the perfect accompaniment to duck, pork or lamb as the acidity of the vinegar cuts through the fattiness of the meat.

• 1 Eggplant, sliced into 1 cm rounds
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly pounded
• pinch saffron
• 1 tsp Black Peppercorns
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/4  cup Water
• 1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Olive Oil

• Lightly brush the eggplant with olive oil and bake in a hot oven until soft and lightly coloured.
• Bring the rest of the ingredients to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour over the eggplant and set aside for 10 minutes.

4. Imam Bayaldi (The priest fainted)

There are two different stories about how this Turkish dish got its name; one is that it tasted so good that when the priest ate it he fainted, the other is that when his wife told him how much olive oil she’d used to make it he fainted. Either way while  it may have never made me faint, whenever I see nice looking lebanese eggplant I think of making this dish. It’s just as good straight from the oven hot as it is cold or at room temperature. It requires good eggplant, good tomatoes and good quality olive oil to make it really shine. I used eggplants and tomatoes from Double Creek farm and Fat Hen olive oil from Kilkivan in mine.

• 750gm eggplant (I use lebanese ones, but big ones work just as well)
• 750gm tomatoes, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 200ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbs chopped flat parsley
• 1 tbs chopped fresh mint
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper

• Cut the eggplants in half and make a couple of deep slits lengthwise through the flesh.
• Fry, cut side down in plenty of olive oil until golden, turn and cook on the skin side for another few minutes. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towel.
• Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until soft, add the tomatoes and cook on a low heat until quite reduced and thick. Add the parsley and mint and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the tomato mixture on top of each eggplant and arrange in a single layer in an oven proof baking dish. Squeeze the lemon juice over the eggplants and drizzle with a little more olive oil.
• Bake in a 180*C oven for 20 – 30 minutes.
• Serve with a salad, some, yoghurt sauce and lots of crusty bread.

5. Moussaka

If you think you don’t like eggplant then a big bubbling tray of moussaka is guaranteed to change your mind. The Greeks really know how to treat an eggplant, and their national dish is convincing evidence of that. The recipe below will give you enough to feed 4 truckies and still have some left over for lunch the next day.

• 1kg lamb mince
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
• 1tbs olive oil
• 2tbs tomato paste
• 1 x 400gm tin crushed tomatoes
• 1 bunch oregano, picked and roughly chopped
• 2 large eggplants, sliced 5mm thick
• 100ml olive oil
• 40gm butter
• 40gm plain flour
• 500ml milk
• 150gm grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper 

• Sauté the onion and garlic in the tablespoon of olive oil until soft.
• Add the lamb mince and fry until starting to colour, breaking up any lumps with the back of a wooden spoon.
• Add the tomato paste and fry, stirring constantly for another 2 minutes.
• Add the crushed tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the oregano and season with salt and pepper.
• Lay the slices of eggplant in a single layer on a baking tray and brush or spray both sides with olive oil.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200°C for 20 minutes or until soft and lightly browned.
• Heat the milk until almost boiling.
• In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and flour and stir over a low heat for 5 minutes.
• Slowly add the milk a little at a time and continue to stir over a low heat until the sauce is smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.
• In a 20 x 30 cm baking dish, layer the lamb sauce and eggplant slices, starting with the lamb sauce and finishing with the eggplant.
• Pour over the béchamel sauce and spread with a spatula so you have an even layer. Sprinkle with a layer of the grated cheese.
• Bake the moussaka for 30 minutes at 180°C.
• Serve with a crunchy Greek salad and crusty buttered sourdough bread.