Eager for Eggplant

I’ve got a varietal of eggplant in my garden that’s pumping out these beautiful white-and-purple-streaked globes that are smaller than you might expect of eggplant but are so pretty to look at, they make up for their diminutive stature.

‘Eggplant’ comes from a varietal of the plant that produces white, egg-shaped fruit. Also commonly known as aubergine, it is part of the solanaceae family (nightshades). Relatives include tomatoes, tomatillos, potatoes, peppers, and more, but it’s biologically considered a berry! Who knew?! Eggplant likes warm, leaning towards hot, temperatures, although it did slow down quite a bit this past summer when every day was over 100 degrees and it didn’t rain for weeks. Make sure you give eggplant plenty of room: it will get tall and stretch out like a super tall guy on an airplane leaning over your seat. This leaves opportunity to companion plant some shorter things down below while it fruits out on top.

If you’ve gotten this far and you’re thinking, “I don’t think I’ve ever even eaten eggplant, much less grown it…what do I do with it??” I’ve got a recipe for you! I love cooking up ratatouille with my eggplant, Whole 30 compliant style. Throw in some sausage or other protein to round out the meal. You might be surprised by this humble little globe-like fruit!

#organicgardening #healthandwellness #gardencoach #nutritionmatters #flowermoundmoms #healthyeating #gardening #lewisvilletx #healthylifestyle #flowermoundtx #gardendesign #vegetablegarden #dentoncounty #flowermound #highlandvillagemoms #highlandvillagetx