An unexpected but beautiful combination: eggplant, yogurt, and pomegranate seeds, as seen on OnSugar blog FreshTart. I've had my eye on this recipe ever since I acquired the lovely cookbook Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi. If you're looking for mouth-watering ways to add vegetables to your life, this is your book. Not only are the recipes clever and inspired, the photography is simply stunning. Read more

Ratatouille may be the perfect Summer-to-Fall transition dish. It savors the heartiest of late Summer's vegetables, namely eggplant and zucchini, but offers the warm, slow-cooked comfort you need in cooler weather. It's traditionally prepared as a stew on the stove top, but this simple recipe roasts the vegetables in the oven along with bell peppers and plum tomatoes, then serves them over Read more

Many vegetables, like zucchini, cucumber, and eggplant, have a high water content, so to avoid my dishes turning into a diluted mess, I like to treat the vegetables by salting and draining them first. The key is to sprinkle them with a liberal amount of kosher salt (but don't go overboard!), then wait patiently for 15 minutes for the salt to draw out the water by osmosis. Then, depending on the Read more

I'm not sure whether it's their versatility, their delicious flavor, or their purple glossy hue that's won me over, but whenever eggplant season rolls around I couldn't be happier. And luckily their season lasts from July to October, giving us ample time to enjoy its bounty. Eggplants have had a pretty interesting history. For centuries after their introduction to Europe — the aubergine Read more

Compared to the produce stars of Summer, I'm looking at you heirloom tomatoes and corn on the cob, eggplant is somewhat of a sad little sister. Rarely does it get the recognition it deserves and it's normally served fried or in expected preparations like eggplant parmesan. However this earthy purple vegetable, that's in season from May through October, is an excellent ingredient in this hearty Read more

If you're craving egg noodles but want something less filling (and just as easy to pull together), try this eggplant "noodle" recipe from FitSugar reader Sprint2theTable, posted in our Healthy Recipe group, which substitutes noodles made from tofu instead. My mom recently told me about Shirataki Noodles — apparently it is just tofu pressed into noodles. It's gluten-free, vegan, low-cal, and Read more

During the work week, I try to eat a veggie-packed salad for lunch everyday. Yesterday's was so delicious, I snapped a photo and decided to share the recipe with you. It's a spinach salad with roasted red peppers, garbanzo beans, and sautéed eggplant. The thing that makes it especially flavorful is the vinaigrette — it's a mixture of sherry vinegar, Dijon mustard, and smoky harissa. Although Read more

Wondering what to make with a bounty of fresh eggplant? Take a tip from OnSugar blog Fresh Tart and put together a creamy and delicious eggplant caviar dip. My family is more than a little obsessed with the eggplant spread — or melitzanosalata — at It's Greek to Me.  The creamy eggplant is perfectly balanced with lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt.  Nathan and I could sit down with just Read more

During the Summer, I prefer to eat lighter dinners and often find myself turning to sandwiches. Not just any old sandwich, but one that incorporates the season's ingredients and cooking tools. I'm talking about vegetables like eggplant and bell peppers that are cooked on the grill. This recipe is the perfect example of this type of sandwich. Three types of cheese make it decadent, but fresh Read more

Eggplant is an ingredient I rarely cook with. Since it's currently in season, I'm trying to use it more. I'm starting with this classic Italian preparation, known by some as pasta a la Norma. The sauce is made from fresh tomatoes and shallow-fried eggplant. It's seasoned with basil leaves and lots of cheese. I plan on serving mixed greens on the side and a full-bodied, unoaked Chardonnay. Want Read more