It’s been one of those scorching summers in which heading outside to the garden is something that has to be done either very early in the morning or later with a gallon of water and a few electrolyte tabs. Many of the plants are not particularly excited about the heat, either. When hurricane Beryl brought us wind on a 98-degree day, I stood at a window and watched the leaves on my tomato vines wither and curl. In anticipation of future summers with similarly high temperatures, I have been researching types of plants that can withstand the heat and provide a decent harvest in adverse conditions. Some of those plants, however, are already in the garden, and one of them is eggplant.
Eggplant are native to the Old World tropical lowlands, so they don’t mind the high temperatures as long as they have enough water. They are even self-fertile, needing only a breeze or brush from the leg of an always-weeding gardener to produce, although I do feel like I get more fruit when I see bees out there doing their thing. This year my heirloom Rosa Bianca seeds failed to grow viable seedlings, so I ended up purchasing two plants, one a Japanese cultivar and the other a basic Italian purple globe eggplant. I planted each as deeply as possible hoping to get them closer to the water table and to encourage them to crank out more roots. Both plants have been doing quite well, although the Japanese variety seems to need a bit more water to keep producing in the heat.
To best understand the optimal time to harvest eggplant while they are still sweet, it is important to address the whole “male / female” misunderstanding. Terminology for describing animals includes male and female, but plants, which are classified in a different kingdom, are microsporangiate and megasporangiate. It is the megasporangiate flower parts that contain ovules and ovaries which eventually mature into seeds and fruit.
All eggplant are mature ovaries, and all eggplant fruit contain seeds. Mature seeds, unlike those that have not yet developed fully, are typically associated with higher levels of solanine, the alkaloid that causes the bitter flavor some people dislike. Thus, avoiding seedy bitterness is easy (insert kindness and understanding joke). Don’t look for a “male” or “female” fruit, just cut them off the plant when they are young and the ovules have not had time to mature. That’s all there is to it. Yes, the harvest may be smaller, but the eggplant will be both easier to prepare and better tasting. No more salting necessary, unless you had to buy a giant, spongy, late-harvested one at the store.
Armed, as you now are, with your fabulously flavorful, non-seedy eggplant, why not make a timballo? I used this recipe as a guide and then read several others only to find no clear consensus on how to prepare everything prior to spooning it into the baking pan. Instead of boiling the rice, I went ahead and made the risotto with shallot and white wine to up the flavor of the dish. I also thought that boiling would take away a lot of that creamy starch that would help bind the timballo together, and when it comes to un-molding a dish for company, I want everything on my side. It held beautifully, and I served it with a marinara sauce on the side. I’m thinking it would make great picnic food.
The aftermath. As it is appearing to be the Year Of The Eggplant, there will be more recipe ideas forthcoming. Enjoy the summer!