There’s something oddly satisfying about a vegetable that is shaped so perfectly for a dish. Unlike traditional American eggplants which are plump, or Italian eggplants and “fairytale” eggplants which are much smaller and cuter, the Asian eggplant, similar to a zucchini, is long and usually thin, almost inviting you to slice it up into perfect little coins. This type tends to be mild in flavor, and insanely easy to cook.
This recipe is the ultimate snack (and when we’re able to invite crowds of people into our homes again, I plan to make it as my go-to appetizer). The light layer of crunchy cheese ups the mild sweet profile of the eggplant. They’re a little messy, but quite easy — get an assembly line going and put the whole family to work.
This recipe includes a quick yogurt and tahini dipping sauce. This is an ode of sorts to the classic baba ganoush palette. You could certainly play around with dips, it would be delicious with a classic red sauce as well!
Ingredients:
1 Asian eggplant, sliced into coins
½ cup all purpose flour
½ cup panko crumbs*
¼ cup parmesan cheese*
2 eggs
*dairy free alternative: replace the panko and parm with ¼ cup nutritional yeast
Yogurt Tahini Dipping Sauce:
3 tbsp. Greek yogurt
2 tbsp tahini
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
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