Market Rally

The season’s abundance of eggplant provides the perfect opportunity to create a summer feast of Mediterranean flavors.

- Daniel Boulud

At this time of year, American farmers’ markets overflow with eggplant, that staple of Mediterranean cooking. These two simple recipes give the endlessly versatile vegetable the chance to shine. Sweet and sour–glazed eggplant is a popular menu item at my DBGB restaurant in downtown Manhattan and stars the long, pinkish-purple Japanese variety. Italian eggplants, the larger, dark purple variety, are grilled and topped with a lightly sautéed mélange of tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and onions that evokes the iconic Provençal ratatouille. Either dish makes an ideal accompaniment to an alfresco meal of grilled fish or meat and a salad of peppery greens. If you’re a real eggplant lover, serve both as part of a meze-style spread. Complement them with a pitcher of sangria made with dark berries and deep purple plums—not only delicious, but also a perfect color match!

SWEET AND SOUR–GLAZED EGGPLANT

Serves 4–6

1⁄4 cup honey

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup sherry vinegar

3 Japanese eggplants, stems removed

4 T olive oil Salt

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 clove garlic, smashed

3 Roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced

1⁄2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1⁄2 tsp. ground sumac

1⁄4 tsp. ground cumin