Farm Direct Coop Recipesor. . . what you can do with your share!

Submitted by Barbara Rotger
Adapted from “Carolyn’s Kitchen” by Carolyn Shohet

• 1 medium eggplant, cut into ½ inch cubes (no need to peel)
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 ounces tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon oregano
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup stuffed green olives, sliced
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained

Garnish:

• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• Minced fresh basil or parsley for garnish

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and sauté the eggplant, onion, celery, green pepper, and garlic until vegetables are soft – about 10 minutes.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Can be refrigerated for up to a week.)
3. To serve, stir in the pine nuts, place in an attractive bowl, and top with fresh herbs.

Recipe Source: Sunset Magazine Chinese Cookbook

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients – have everything ready by the stove and this dish will cook up very quickly. This is spicy so serve it with plenty of hot cooked rice (or use less chili sauce). If you don’t want to use ground pork, try it with ground chicken or turkey. I made it tonight with leftover pork roast – chop the cooked meat very fine, and add it later in the recipe (along with the cornstarch and water). If you’re unfamiliar with Sichuan chili sauce, read about it here and here.

• 1/2 cup chicken broth, vegetable broth, or water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or other vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash of pepper
• 1 large eggplant or several Asian eggplants, about 1-1/4 pounds total
• 5 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1/4 pound ground pork, or finely chopped pork loin (use up to 1/2 pound if you want more meat in the sauce)
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons hot chili sauce (look for Sichuan chili sauce, Sichuan chili bean sauce or ma po tofu sauce) or 2 small dried hot chili peppers, crumbled and seeded, if desired
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoons sesame oil
• sesame seeds, for sprinkling

1.  Combine chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set next to the stove. Place the chopped scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce in another bowl and set it next to the stove. Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and (you guessed it) place it next to the stove. Peel the eggplant (unless you are using Asian eggplants – they don’t need to be peeled) and cut into strips 2 inches long and 1/2″ thick.

 2.  Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of oil and heat until the oil begins to smoke. Add the eggplant and stir-fry for 3 minutes, then transfer to a plate or dish.

 3.  Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the pork, and the scallion/ginger/garlic/chili sauce and stir-fry until the meat is not longer pink, about 2 minutes.

 4.  Return the eggplant to the wok and pour in the chicken broth mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant is tender, about 6 minutes. Stire the cornstarch/water mixture and add it to the wok. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Add sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serves 2-4 people, depending on how many other dishes you make for dinner!