Bagsmom,

This is my version of an eggplant recipe from the International Vegetarian Union website (www.ivu.org). I served it as an appetizer with pita bread, but it can also be eaten as a side dish.

Eggplant Delight

2 medium-sized eggplants
3 tsp Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1/8 tsp ground red pepper (adjust according to desired heat level)
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
salt to taste
approx. 1 inch piece ginger, minced

Wash eggplants and wrap in foil. Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until tender at 350 degrees. Turn off oven and leave eggplant inside for 10-15 minutes.

Heat oil in a skillet and saute onions until translucent.
Stir in spices and saute until fragrant (approx. 1 minute). Add tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Remove eggplants from oven and peel. Mash the eggplant and add to skillet. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add lemon juice just before serving.

I've never frozen this dish. I have blanched and frozen eggplant sliced approx. 1/4 inch for eggplant parmigiana.

Some people say you can't freeze eggplant! I freeze mine - I now only grow the typical "non-italian" type as they freeze better (small and long types).

I froze Andhra Gutti Vankaya with Chana Dal http://www.harekrsna.com/practice/prasadam/recipes/wsabji9.htm
the other day. I made a HUGE pot of it (but used green split peas instead of Chana since I didn't have any chana on hand that day).

Also make a lot of tomato sauce using cherry tomatoes and roasted eggplants and freeze that with some garlic, maybe peppers and of course basil and oregano from the garden. I freeze bags of it. Sometimes more tomatoes, sometimes more eggplant. The acid in the tomatoes helps preserve the eggplant consistancy nicely!

GGG

Here are some eggplant recepie1:
With a bumper crop of tomatoes and eggplants, nowadays I cook these often.

A- Eggplant parmesan(google it )

B- my recepie:
I grow and use asian varieties but you can do with others to:
\These are approximate portions\\
-- 1 lb eggplant
-- 1 lb tomato
-- 1 whole garlic
-- 1 teaspoon lemon/lime juice
-- 2-3 EGGS
-- salt/pepper to tase
DIRECTIONS:
1-puncture eggplants with fork
2- cut the top of whole garlic(just the tips of cloves)
3- wrap garlic in al.foil
4- put eggplants, garlic in 350F oven (place eggplant on a rack with drip catcher under it. Bake for one hour (longer if eggplants are tooo fat).

while eggplants/garlic baking do following:
5- dip tomatoes in boiling water (5-10 sec), then put in ice water.
6- Saute some onions (half of medium)
7- brake eggs, separate yokes and whites.Beat them.
8- peel, core, cut into pieces the tomatoes, start boiling them in a pot, add sauted onions,salt/pepper, continue simmering @ low heat.
9- when 1 hr time is up, take out eggplants/garlic from oven, let them cool so you can handle them.
10- cut eggplants lengthwise, scrape the inside (w/knif or spoon), get rid of skin, lightly chop them
11- Press the garlic to get the soft part out, chop it.
12 - Add eggplants/garlic to tomatoes, continue simmering until has a good thick consistency.
13 - with a spoon pour egg yoke drop , here and there (do not mix, you want to see the color )
14- before serving, do the same with egg whites, Again, little bit at a time, here and there, NO mixing, add lemon juice.

Voilla!
This can be an appetizer or just a meal if there is enough of it to go around.
This is in a way like Italian "eggplant Parmesan", which eggs are used instead of cheese, ang eggplants are baked instead of frying.

My various oriental egg plants are starting to produce nicely -- more than I need fresh. Can I slice them up and freeze them for stir frys later on, or would they be too mushy when thawed? Maybe I'll just try to freeze some and see. -- JPool

I don't know about freezing eggplants raw.
I would bake them and then freez whole. Mine are Japanes type.
Since your eggplants are small, Why slice them, just freez them whole. This way the skin will preserve and keep the flavor and freshness. What you can do is experiment; freez couple of each for a few days, then take them out and thaw see what you have.
cyrus

Eggplant are not normally recommended for freezing. They can turn dark-black (although I find with acid, like a tomato this doesn't happen) - and yes, they will be very mushy and almost ready to disappear. That is why you just don't find frozen eggplant by itself in the supermarket.

Try making a recipe and freezing the eggplant in something. Unfortunately it probably won't be a stir fry!

You can freez them after cooking:

1- deep fry
2-pan fry
3- bake, at 350F, until soft or semi soft (with skin on)

You can half-cook them so when you use them cook a litlle more.
It is easy to experiment. Cook some, freez for a day, thaw and see what you get.

Cyrus