Easy way to use eggplant

The sun has been strong enough for long enough that it's ripened the first eggplants of the season, which come into our stores and farmers markets in June. And what beauties they are, all shiny black skins and sticky, tender flesh just begging to be whipped into mixtures with onions, tomatoes, anchovies, lemons, garlic, basil, olives and roasted sweet peppers.

We tend to overlook eggplants in cooking, but in shape and flavor, they have a wide range. Look for pale green Asian types with thin skins and exceptional flavor. White eggplants, including Osterei, (Easter egg, in German) have thicker skins and an earthy, mushroom-like flavor. Italian varieties are often pink and white and called Rosa Bianca. They’re meaty, with a fine texture and delicate flavor.

When buying eggplant, I look for fruits on the smaller side. This indicates youth. They should feel heavy in the hand for their size, another indicator of quality. The skin should be glossy, no matter what its color. Dull skin means the eggplants are old.

Give the eggplant a little thumb pressure. It should spring back. If it stays depressed, that's another sign of age. The problem with older eggplants is that they turn soft and watery. Their pert, tangy flavor subsides into a low-profile mellowness, and the seeds become hard and unpleasant to eat.

Eggplant was once as much a staple crop in southern Europe as the potato later become in northern Europe. Scientists believe it originated in India or Myanmar and was carried east to China and west to Arabia. When the Moors conquered Spain, they introduced eggplant to Europe.

Eggplant is tropical by nature, although most sold in the U.S. are grown as an annual summer crop. Because of its tropical nature and short shelf life, store it on a cool kitchen counter and use it up within a day or two of buying it to ensure peak quality.

Eggplant is used around the world in a variety of regional, ethnic dishes. In the Middle East, it's made into a dip called baba ghanoush and, along with hummus, is scooped up on pieces of pita bread at mealtimes. Italians make eggplant into caponata relish by cooking it with onions, tomatoes, anchovies, olives, pine nuts, capers and vinegar and stirring in olive oil.

The Spanish pickle tiny white eggplants. In Greece, they make moussaka — a national dish made like meaty, tomatoey, eggplant lasagna with potatoes on top. In France and England, they call the vegetable "aubergines" and use it in ratatouille, and Russians make "eggplant caviar," a kind of salsa.

Finally, eggplant is heart-healthy. It's one of the top 10 vegetables in its level of antioxidants, and it mixes so well with olive oil — the secret sauce of the health-giving properties of the Mediterranean diet.

Makes 6-9 servings

A salna is a South Indian stew or vegetarian thick gravy, often used as a dip for chapatis or as a side dish with curried lamb. It has a bright yellow color and contains 2 members of the nightshade family, eggplant and potatoes. It's spicy and yummy.

2 pounds eggplants, preferably Japanese or Italian, quartered. Peel eggplants if black or white.

1 pound peeled and quartered red-skin potatoes

2 serrano chilies, halved lengthwise and seeded

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon garam masala

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoon chopped scallions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the first 9 ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat the vegetables with the oil and spices.

Transfer the ingredients in the bowl to a large baking pan so they form a single layer.

Bake for 45 minutes, turning every 15 minutes. It's done when the potatoes are cooked through and golden brown on the outside and when the eggplant is soft. Garnish with the cilantro and scallions.