Eggplant: a plant, Solanum melongena esculentum, of the nightshade family, cultivated for its edible, dark purple or occasionally white or yellow fruit. The fruit of this plant is used as a table vegetable. (dictionary.com)
It all started a few weeks ago when my mother happened to read about eggplant pizzas. That caused us to begin talking about its being something we would like to try sometime and since eggplant season is winding down, this seemed as good a time as ever! We went to a local produce stand and each of us purchased a nice, small eggplant freshly picked from that farmer's field. I read up on this pizza -with-a-twist idea, combined methods and tips from various sources and went to work.
I also used shredded mozzarella cheese, but neglected to include it in the photo! After washing the eggplant, I sliced it into slices about 1/2 inch thick. I spread out everything on a cutting board, salted the pieces and allowed them to sit about 20 minutes. That, of course, drew out the water (osmosis). This process allows the slices to cook more quickly and produces a better taste. If you look closely, you will observe the water droplets which formed on the surface. I blotted fronts and backs dry with paper towels.
Next, I brushed both sides with just a bit of olive oil and baked them in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes when the eggplant surfaces were beginning to brown. After that I spooned on pizza sauce, added mini pepperoni slices and oregano.
I sprinkled shredded mozzarella cheese over everything and returned the lined cookie sheet to the oven for about 10 additional minutes.
Since eggplant has a rather spongy texture, you can appreciate the fact that these "crusts" are not crisp or firm. In fact, you need to consume eggplant pizza bites with a fork. The seeds are detectible, but not a distraction. In fact, did you realize that those seeds are what classify this food as a fruit?
