August 17, 2019
by Francesca Patterson
If we had superlative awards for the vegetables we carry at the market, then the Fairytale Eggplants would easily take the crown for most charming. Not only is this an eggplant with beautiful streaks of white and deep purple, but it is also about a quarter of the size of your traditional eggplant. They are small enough to fit about three in the palm of your hand. So often, I hear small children asking their parents for these simply because they are cute.
This little eggplant carries the same taste as larger versions, however, it’s size allows you to have more creative liberty. These are great for grilling and present so well at a large dinner table because they are a single serving each. The eggplant “meat” inside also becomes tender and flavorful very quickly with these mini vegetables. This recipe preserves the delicate flavor of eggplant while enhancing it with just a few others. If you avoid the parmesan cheese, this is also an excellent option for vegans or plant-based eaters, since it is a hearty side dish. These stuffed eggplants taste great as cold leftovers for the next day’s lunch as well.
INGREDIENTS
- Fairytale eggplants
- 1/8 Onion (finely sliced)
- 2 Basil leaves
- 1/4 Tomato (peeled and chopped)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 1 Egg
- 1 Tbsp bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS
- Cut the eggplants in half. With a spoon, gently scoop out the inside meat of the eggplants, being careful not to tear the skin. Save the eggplant meat in a bowl. Sprinkle salt on the inside of the scooped-out eggplants and let them sit for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a pan, begin sauteing the onions on medium-low with about two tbsp of olive oil.
- Place the eggplant meat and basil leaves and tomato in a food processor until finely chopped, or chop these very finely by hand. Add this mixture to the onions and cook for about 5 minutes.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the eggplant mixture with bread crumbs, egg, a little more salt, and parmesan cheese. Mix together completely.
- Spoon this into the scooped-out eggplants. Top the stuffed eggplants with a little more cheese and bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Where is the tomato I don’t see it in the directions
Hi Carla, it calls for 1/4 of a tomato. Quickly saute the chopped tomato after you have sauteed your onions for a couple of minutes. Add these both to the food processor with the eggplant meat.
I have a carton of these cute little eggplants I’m going to make these tonight for sure. I think what Carla is saying is that you don’t include the tomato in the directions I’m assuming they would go into the eggplant mixture. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Hi Cynthia! Yes, I apologize for the typo in this recipe. I meant to include the tomato in the step where you cook the onions. Saute the tomato and onion briefly and add these to the eggplant mixture.
The ingredient list calls for 1/4 tomato, but nowhere does it say what to DO with the tomato. Is it chopped and sauteed along with the onions? If so, this looks nearly identical to a delicious Greek dish that uses mint instead of basil.
Hi Kim! Yes, sorry for the mistake in the recipe! The tomato should be sauteed along with the onions.