Yes, it’s a color (and one of my favorites), but also the French word for eggplant.

I find them so beautiful that they are in the entry berm along with the perennials and shrubs. This one is called ‘Dancer’. The blossoms are pale lavender and about 2″ across. The fruit has a pearlescent sheen, and peeks out from amidst the dense foliage in a rather coy manner. When the time comes to harvest the first of them, I think I will try making ratatouille…Julia’s recipe, of course. We have already indulged in a moussaka, using the recipe in Joy of Cooking. It was complicated, but worth it…and with just two of us, it provided three meals. I figure that about equals out to kitchen time for simpler fare, and it’s recreational anyway, no?

I don’t know if the new varieties are improved, but we don’t bother with all the salting and draining before throwing sliced eggplant on the grill, brushed with a little garlic oil. No hint of bitterness, and easy as can be. Another easy approach is to dredge the slices in seasoned flour, dip in beaten eggs, coat in panko crumbs and saute in oil (same treatment works for zucchini).

Bon Apetit!