Eggplant for Breakfast!

Last season, I noted that there were times when a meal without greens was breakfast—maybe. And several people commented about ways they were enjoying greens in their breakfasts, in fact. Well, when the produce is rampant, you definitely have to get creative in the kitchen, and though I know those eggplant haters out there won’t be thrilled with this idea, I encourage all open-minded folks to give this one a try.

The idea came about by accident; I had some New Canaan Farm bottled peach sauce that was meant for basting a pork roast or roasted chicken. But I didn’t have any pork or chicken—I had a nice plump eggplant. So I basted the eggplant with the peach sauce, baked and broiled it, and it came out smelling wonderful and looking a bit like cinnamon rolls. Then we tasted it—delicious, and a nice complement to green bean salad for dinner—but it really seemed like it would make a great breakfast entrée.

If you don’t have any bottled peach sauce (I found it in a discount bin at the grocery), you can try apple butter or homemade-from-Schenk-pears pear butter as a topping. Even butter and brown sugar might be tasty. Experiment with all this great produce, and you never know what kinds of delicious treats you might discover.

Eggplant for Breakfast

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
Salt
Peach sauce, pear butter, apple butter, or brown sugar and butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the eggplant slices on a rack and sprinkle with a little salt to draw out the liquid. Let stand for 15-20 minutes, then arrange in a baking dish. Spoon sauce or butter of your choice over the eggplant slices and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then turn on the broiler and broil for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble. It sounds weird, but it’s really tasty. (Makes 2 servings with a medium-sized eggplant.)