Tuesday 1 February 2011

Roasted Baby Eggplant Halves with Herbs

The inspiration for tonight's dinner came from here with a few changes of my own.

Ingredients fresh from the garden:
Baby eggplants
Rosemary
Thyme
Parsley
Chives
Garlic (dried and stored)
Green Beans

From the store:
Potato
Olive Oil
Salt
Butter

Eggplants hanging on the bush, I purchased a punnet with 4 eggplant seedlings from Foodland. I planted, watered every couple of days and was surprised to find little baby eggplants growing. No pests or diseases and they are planted in a thin layer of good soil with thick clay underneath.

Three baby eggplants for dinner (I'm not sure what size they should be???)

Freshly picked parsley, rosemary, thyme , 3 cloves of garlic, salt and olive oil waiting to be processed in my rocket blender. Only a new purchase and it is going fantastically. Picked up for the bargain price of $30 from Cheap as Chips.

Blended mix

Eggplant with crosses cut into the flesh, not through the skin though

I've spread the herb, garlic, oil mix over and into the eggplant

After being roasted in the oven @ 200 degrees for about 25-30 mins

Freshly picked and steamed green beans, mashed potato with chives and butter and my baby eggplant with herbs.
I was hesitant to taste the eggplant as it doesn't look appealing, but after the first bite I was hooked and ended eating all three little baby eggplants. A few things I noticed was that the skin of the eggplants were quite tough and chewy, but still ok to eat, not sure if that is normal or not. I also would like a little more garlic and the rosemary could be chopped a bit finer. Otherwise I am rather pleased how this turned out. I have only eaten eggplant in a stew, so I am really looking forward to experimenting with my baby eggplants.

Freshly picked cherry tomatoes


I picked these tomatoes last night ready to eat during work today. The tomato bush sprouted out of the soil/compost, it nevers gets water, expect for maybe a few splashes whilst watering the rest of the garden, but it is full of tomatoes. This is the easiest form of gardening!