Garden, Plant, Cook!

Saturday, October 06, 2018

Eggplant "Bacon" - Oh Boy!

Dear Folks,

My eggplants are really producing nicely, particularly my Listarda (Listada De Gandia) and I decided to do another batch of "Bacon" using a marinade and slices of this gorgeous fruit. Yes I know we call it a vegetable but it is really a fruit.

Anyway, I made some "eggplant bacon" a while back and I loved the taste but I had inconsistent 'doneness' issues with the center being soft while the outside crispy. So re-reading several recipes on line, I lowered the oven temp and got a much better result. BIG tip here, watch them when they are baking, you want crisp but not burnt and you do HAVE to turn them halfway through.

Some recipes note using them as dippers which I think would be good, but hey, we are talking "Bacon" here so BLT and Grilled/Melted Cheese sandwiches were what I wanted.

First the Marinade and it can be refrigerated and used as needed. There are several variations for this marinade around and I liked this combination. You can use avocado oil in place of the olive oil.

Eggplant "Bacon" Marinade
Vegan, Vegetarian and Omnivore friendly

1/8 cup (2 tablespoons) soy
1/8 cup apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup maple syrup
1/8 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch (1/16 teaspoon) liquid Hickory Smoke

Eggplant "Bacon"

Marinade
Eggplants
Optional Cracked Black Pepper

Use a mandolin if you have it to make the slices of eggplant even. I do not peel these tender heirloom varieties of eggplant.  You want about bacon-type thickness for the slices.

Have a ziplock bag ready. A nice way to do this is to open the bag and tuck into a mug with the top folded down over the sides creating a "stand" for the bag.

Pour the marinade into the bag.

Cut the stem end off the eggplant. Slice a small piece off the "round" sides of the eggplant.

Slice the eggplant an immediately put the slices in the bag. Zip closed and gently move the slices around to coat and lay the bag on a flat counter. Set your timer for 30 minutes and turn the bag once half way through.

Meanwhile get your pan and oven ready. Pre-heat oven to 300 - 325. I did 325 and may try 300 next time. Your first batch will be a test for your oven and what works to create nice crispy "bacon" without burning. I have to say even the "charred" pieces were delicious.

Cover your cookie sheet or large pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Lay the eggplant strips out on the pan. They can be very closed together but not overlapping. They will shrink a bit. If you like you can sprinkle with cracked black pepper.

Flip the eggplant after 20-22 minutes and return to oven. Overall cooking time will range from 40-50 minutes. Watch carefully. Remove and either use immediately or cool and wrap up in the aluminum foil you baked them on and refrigerate. I had to wait until the next day to use and they were just fine and still nice and crispy after being in the refrigerator.

A couple of days ago I harvested a bunch of mixed greens from the garden (sweet potato, roselle and Egyptian Spinach, leaves along with some purslane and basil, and I'itoi onion tops. I used some of the leaves for the BLT.

Now to assemble the sandwiches - BLT with avocado and a melty swiss cheese, "bacon" with some basil leaves.  Both sandwiches on a multi-grain whole wheat toast.  I do not show it but I put some mayo on the BLT.

I literally could not wait to assemble the BLT with Avocado.  I opted to spread the avocado on one side of the toast. On the other, you can't see it, I spread some mayo, the slices of tomato, sprinkle with a bit of salt, then some of the "bacon" greens and more "bacon" - of course, and closed the sandwich up. 

Next the Melty Swiss Cheese, "Bacon" with basil leaves.

Several years ago I started making grilled cheese sandwiches with grilled eggplant and sweet peppers adding fresh basil leaves in the mix.  For these sandwiches I toasted the bread ahead of time.

It is important to layer the cheese between each of the other ingredients.  Here I used Swiss. I have used Provolone, Swiss, White Cheddar and Mozzarella depending on what I have on hand and my mood - maybe even a mix.  After assembling, I pop in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds to melt the cheese.

So, this. . .

 
To THESE . . .

Have you made eggplant "Bacon"?  Or other vegetable "bacons"?  How have you used the "Bacon" or how would you use it?

I think the next batch(es) I make I need to make extra and keep some for crumbling on salads or as a garnish on soups.  Like my "Creamy Potato + Vegetable Soups".

Have a great time in the kitchen with your garden bounty!

Watch for my November Planting tips in another post.

You can find my books and calendars at Amazon or my publishers site.  Check the sidebar here on the blog.


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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Wednesday, October 03, 2018

Rain = Mushrooms!


Dear Folks,

While checking the rain totals for the last 24 hours, I spotted these in an area designated for a future tree.  I laughed out loud when I caught sight of them!

I check rain totals for a 24 hour period at first light - we received 1.25 inches over the last 3 nights.  Far less than many parts of the valley, but still enough to show mushroom growth in our healthy soil.

AND we got to skip major garden watering because of the totals.  Always cool to let mother nature do your watering.

As I type this at about 8:45 am it has started raining again - and the sun is coming out - good old fashioned sunshower - yipppeeee!

Back to the mushrooms, these puppies are huge!

 
And no I am not going to check and see if they can be eaten:

1)  I have no training; and
2)  My sweety is severely allergic to mushrooms!

. . .

If you are starting to think about gift giving for the holidays, consider my gardening book and/or wall calendar for your gardening friends or family (or those who want to but need help).  The information is applicable in USDA Zone 9b and above - Desert Southwest and Deep South.

My Calendar and Book Links

Wall Calendar
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1387385798/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1

Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-a-month-by-month-calendar-desert-southwest-usda-zone-9b/paperback/product-23433329.html


Beginner's Southwest Gardening Book
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141164039X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-in-the-desert-southwest-wheelbarrow-to-plate/paperback/product-176297.html



Enjoy the rain, stay safe and look forward to happy gardens!


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

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my posts! 


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Tuesday, October 02, 2018

In Appreciation of Vegetables!

Listarda Eggplant
Dear Folks,

October is "Vegetarian Appreciation Month", which started in 1977.

You do NOT have to be a vegetarian or vegan to appreciate the flavor and beauty of vegetables.

I made a huge batch of Ratatouille the other day:  Eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers, onion, and zucchini seasoned with dried Greek Oregano and Celery from the garden.  A tiny bit of uncured bacon fat (1 tablespoon) in a 350 oven for 80 minutes until they were all melty.

I had some leftover, so last night I cooked up some pasta type couscous (1:2 ratio of pasta to water, bring to a boil, add pasta, stir, cover and let sit for 5 minutes off the heat).  I added 2 tablespoons of my basil "pesto" (basil ground with some olive oil), and then stirred in the warmed left over ratatouille and topped with shredded Mozzarella cheese.  A perfect meal whether you are an omnivore or a vegetarian.

The butternut squash seedlings love the site I picked and I am tickled they took.  Not really the right time for them, but I am pushing the envelope this coming year with the climate changing up when to plant and when the plants are happiest.  I mean, why not!  With global weirding and my personal garden journeys using trowel and error to find when and where to help my plants be happy and healthy, the need to keep up with that weirding means continuing to push the envelope.

So far we have received just under .6 tenths of an inch of rain from Rosa (6:30 Tuesday morning), and we are expecting more according to forecasts. It is welcome, but would prefer not damage!

My Roselle is really in full flowering mode and the plant while a bit bent from the rains yesterday morning, are full of flowers - I just love this plant.

I have some small mix lettuce leaves to harvest along with the sweet potato and roselle leaves and I think I will snip a piece of Turmeric leaf to add to the mix  This plant is quite happy in its spot.  My ginger struggled this year so I need to find a better spot for it.  When I harvest the Turmeric later I will also transplant the ginger, as soon as I figure out a better spot for it.

Sugar Pea seedlings are coming along fine. I have started two rows a couple of weeks apart and will continue that until I have about 6 rows. I want to have a LOT of sugar peas.

A new location for a sweet pepper is proving to be a good choice.  The plant had some afternoon shade through the hot summer and is now about 3 feet tall and putting out fruit.  This burgundy pepper photo I took about 5 days ago, surprised me with the color.  A pepper I missed on the plant was on the ground yesterday, birds being helpful and it was bright red, so the color transition of this variety is interesting.  I have tried a new variety of sweet pepper - a type of Habanero but with no heat, and I'm wondering if this is what I sowed here.  I have the greatest facility for NOT remembering to note what I planted and where, so it becomes a kind of surprise gift when something comes up not where I expected it!

I hope you use October and all months to appreciate all of the wonderful vegetables and other edibles you can grow in our desert gardens.

DON'T forget - your garlic -- get your cloves in the ground no later than October 31st for the best success possible for spring harvest.

Have a best day,


-- Catherine, The Herb Lady

 If you enjoyed this post, please share and subscribe below by entering your email, to get all my posts!

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner
Disclaimer: Clicking on links on this blog may earn me a small commission if you purchase something. Your price does not change.

My Calendar and Book Links

Wall Calendar

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1387385798/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1


Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-a-month-by-month-calendar-desert-southwest-usda-zone-9b/paperback/product-23433329.html


Beginner's Southwest Gardening Book

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/141164039X/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0


Publisher Direct
http://www.lulu.com/shop/catherine-crowley/edible-landscaping-in-the-desert-southwest-wheelbarrow-to-plate/paperback/product-176297.html