Abundance!

YAY!!!

It's like Christmas in July! From our friend's large garden/small farm:

Eggplant

Corn

Tomatoes (big)

Tomatoes (teensy)

About 5 dozen eggs (she has chicken coops)

Peppers

A big bucket o'herbs

Figs

Isn't it gorgeous???

Sweetie was running some errands north of the city, and stopped in to visit a friend. She was planning to go on vacation and said she didn't want the garden's goodies to go to waste while she wasn't there. A thank-you note is seriously the least of what we owe her for all this farm-fresh yumminess.

To be honest, it was more than we could eat, too. So we shared the gift with Cutie and her parents. Thank goodness we did, because it turns out only one of the five of us likes eggplant, and that drove Cutie's dad to find a palatable recipe for it.

I'll be darned - it turns out I can eat eggplant after all without puckering up my face or dying or anything! These were actually very tasty - Cutie, Cutie's Mom, and I all had our doubts and we're all converts now. I can't tell you that I'd eat eggplant any other way, but I would be happy to eat these again.

Cutie's Dad's Eggplant Croquettes

2 eggplants, medium, peeled and cubed

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs (if you have plain, just add some dried basil, oregano, and rosemary)

2 eggs, beaten

2 TBSP dried parsley (optional)

2 TBSP chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

1. Place eggplant in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender; cook another 2 minutes if they are not.

2. Drain any liquid and mash the eggplant with a fork.

3. Combine cheese, egg, parsley, onion, garlic, and salt with the eggplant. Mix well.

4. Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties into the skillet one at a time. Fry each side of the patties until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.