For most of the year, eggplants are large, rotund and deep purple, but during the hot summer months, cooks can find so many more varieties at farmers markets and even some grocery stores. In addition to bright or deep purple, eggplant can be pink, striped and even white, and come in lots of different sizes.
All of them can be a little bitter when raw or undercooked, which is why most eggplant recipes call for either deep frying or roasting to soften the texture and sweeten the taste. Salting an eggplant before roasting it for any recipe, such as baba ghanoush, will pull out some of the extra water, but in this recipe from "Mediterranean Cooking: More than 150 Favorites to Enjoy with Family and Friends" by Pamela Clark (Sterling Publishing Co., $19.95), the seasoning will deepen the flavor of the slices that are served in a marjoram vinaigrette.
Roasted Eggplant with Marjoram Vinaigrette
1 large eggplant (about 1 lb.), sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh marjoram
1/2 cup olive oil, extra
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brush both sides of eggplant slices with oil; place, in single layer, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Roast about 25 minutes, turning eggplant slices once, until lightly browned both sides.
Meanwhile, combine onion, vinegar, sugar, marjoram and extra oil in small bowl; season to taste. Spoon onion mixture over eggplant.
Serve eggplant warm or at room temperature with crusty bread. Serves 6.
— From "Mediterranean Cooking: More than 150 Favorites to Enjoy with Family and Friends" by Pamela Clark (Sterling Publishing Co., $19.95)
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