Farmers' Market Friday - An aubergine by any other name... {Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches}

...is still an eggplant.  Ever wonder how this vegetable, whose modern varieties don't resemble anything similar to an egg, wound up with that name? It so happens that some cultivars from the mid-18th century were yellow or white and resembled goose eggs. However, for most of Europe this very same item derives its name from the Arabic word (al)badinjan; via the Eastern Mediterranean this morphed into melongene and via the Western Mediterranean as the aubergine derivative. 

No matter what it's called, I love them and have a lot of them in my market fridge stash. We've had Eggplant Parmesan, ratatouille, and Baba Ghannouj a number of times this season. In the past, I've made a delicious eggplant-tomato sauce for pasta and another eggplant focused Levantine specialty called Sahib (note to self: add these two into the dinner rotation soon). However, I was wanting something relatively quick and simple the other night and sort of had a hankering for something with a bit of a Mexican flair. These Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches sort of have a toe in both the Mexican inspired pool and in the Levant - a new fusion, Mexi-Eastern, perhaps?

Here's the ingredients from the market:

• Eggplant (any color/variety)
• Jalapeno-Cheddar buns from Artisan Ovens
• Olive Oil from Central Texas Olive Ranch

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

(adapted from Kay Chun)

• 4 small to medium eggplants, peeled, sliced lengthwise into 1/4 in-1/2in thick slices
• 1-2 avocados
• 2-3 Tbsp cotija cheese, grated
• 1-2 Tbsp pepitas (roasted, shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 C shredded purple cabbage
• pickled jalapeno halves (I love the El Faro brand as it has a mild version. It still has a nice pickled jalapeno kick without the heavy burn that some pickled peppers can bring to the table. I find them at my local HEB)
• 4 cheddar jalapeno buns (or hearty bread of your choice - we also tried this out on the Sesame bread from Artisan Ovens and it was even more delish)

1. (Some folks insist on salting and draining their eggplant to remove excess moisture and bitterness. I've found that with market eggplants, I've not really needed to do so. However, if you're interested in the process. to do this: Prior to seasoning, place your eggplant slices on a baking sheet lined with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and allow to drain about 1/2 hr. Then, rinse well under cool water and press between clean dry paper towels to remove excess water. Then, proceed.) In a large bowl, mix the olive oil and cumin well. Place the eggplant slices in the mix and toss/stir to coat until the slices are well coated. 
2. Heat grill to medium high heat and cook eggplant slices until softened and grill marks appear. Be sure to turn them for even cooking. Remove from grill and set aside until ready to assemble the sandwiches.
3. Peel and pit avocados. In a medium bowl, mash avocado and mix in cotija cheese and pepitas. Season with pepper to taste.
4. Toast/grill the buns. Split buns and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. In a large skillet or griddle over the stove, toast bread over medium high heat until crumb is crunchy and golden.
5. Assemble sandwiches: Smear liberal amount of avocado mixture on bottom bun, layer with a bit of shredded purple cabbage, top with pickled jalapeno slices, add layer of eggplant slices and cover with top bun. Slice in half and enjoy!

These sandwiches are such a nice treat: smoky, silky eggplant, creamy and slightly salty guacamole mix, crunchy cabbage and pumpkin seeds and a little pickled kick of jalapeno. Bookend that with those lovely cheddar jalapeno buns (that provide quite a kick of their own) and you have quite a tasty sandwich.

Happy Cooking!
sld

Disclosure: I was invited by Wolf Ranch Farmer's Market to visit and meet the vendors and was provided Market Money with which to purchase ingredients for use in the Farmers' Market Friday posts.  I was not compensated to write this article and all opinions are my own.

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