Eggplant Salad

I have written about my love for eggplant before. There is just no way around it: eggplants are a staple for me. And now that we are in Morocco it seems that at any given week I have no less than five eggplants on hand. I like to pick them small and narrow guaranteeing fewer seeds and more flesh, and shiny which indicates they are fresh. Five eggplants of that nature weigh about 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds and cost 4MAD or 50cents. GASP! Yes, you read correctly over 2 pounds of eggplant costs less than an American dollar! So there is no reason why we cannot have it at our dinner table every day, except that we need variety, and most other vegetables are also readily available for cheap (of course keep in mind that we make a lot less here than we do in the US, but still it is tickling to think just how much less vegetables cost here).

Grilled, baked, sautéed, mashed, you name it, I make it. Lately, however, I have been making a mouthwatering eggplant salad making wonderful use of the abundant fragrant herbs. I cut the eggplant into small pieces and let them cook in olive oil over slow heat for half an hour until they are soft on the inside and crisp around the edges. I do not peel them, though, because I like the taste of the peel.

Once cooled, I add them to a bowl of finely diced tomatoes and onions that have been marinating with the parsley, mint, fresh garlic and lemon juice.

I season with some salt and toss to combine.

I serve the salad alongside any main dish and sometimes serve it as the main dish with fresh Lebanese bread.

If you are a fan of eggplant and are looking for something new, give it a try. You will not be disappointed.