Amanda Miller
Columnist
Lettuce Eat Local
For some foods and food terms, etymology could not appear any simpler. Blueberries, for instance, are berries that are blue; watermelon is a melon that is 92% water. Sweet corn is corn that is sweeter than field corn (corn that is grown in big fields), and popcorn is different from both of those in that (guess what) it pops.
Names could come from taste: honeydew melons are as sweet as honey mixed with morning dew, and butternut squash is deliciously buttery and nutty. Names could also come from appearance: cherry and grape tomatoes are as small as cherries and grapes; oranges are, you know, orange; dragonfruit can make you think of what a dragon might look like.
Speaking of squash, I’m guessing you can see the logic behind summer squash versus winter squash without me going into great detail, so names can also come from seasons.
Some food names, however, sound simpler than they really are. Sweet potatoes are potatoes that are sweet…kind of. They seem like it and we call them that, but actually sweet potatoes are in the same family as morning glories and bindweed, whereas “real” potatoes are nightshades and therefore more closely related to peppers and tomatoes. While there are logical etymological explanations, surface reading won’t explain that coconuts don’t taste like nutty cocoa, and fortunately, strawberries are not berries that taste like straw. I live with a three-year-old boy so I should also point out that a pea doesn’t taste like its homophone.
Eggplant is one of those that terms that does actually make sense, except maybe not immediately. What on earth does that elongated purple fruit have do to with eggs? They don’t taste like them or look like them; hens don’t lay them. The problem is not with our language nor with the vegetable itself, but rather with the cultivar that we are familiar with. If you’ve never seen one before, go google images of “white eggplants that look like eggs” — the reason for the name is suddenly and strikingly obvious.
I like to think how oddly surprising it would be to walk out to the garden, peer under a few leaves, and see this egg hanging there! It’s like a fairy tale…which, incidentally, there is type of eggplant called fairy tale, although they are just enchantingly small and not eggy. Eggplants have been around for so many centuries that they long predate fairy tales, being mentioned in Ayurvedic texts sometime in the years BC. Because of their natural bitterness, they were often cultivated for medicinal purposes, and their Arabic name is thought to mean “demon’s eggs” in light of their potent flavor.
Nowadays, these egg plants are not as common, due in part to the little white varietals not shipping as well as the modern market desires. The potential of being surprised by eggplants remains, however, as I was pleasantly shocked by discovering several big purple orbs hanging on my plants — I’ve picked six beautiful eggplants so far, the best harvest I’ve had yet.
I thought perhaps I had discovered a new varietal of eggplant the other day as I walked around the corner of the house. But wait, no, thanks to a wayward hen, that was just an egg sitting on some plants.
Tahini-dressed Eggplant Salad
This isn’t your typical salad, but I assume you weren’t eggspecting that anyway. I usually reserve my eggplant for baba ghanoush, a Mediterranean roasted eggplant dip (that also features tahini, yes I have a problem), or ratatouille, but I actually have enough eggstra to be able to eggsperiment a little. I’ve found microwaving the eggplant a bit can help it not soak up so much oil when cooking. This dish can be served warm or chilled, so it’s nice both fresh and to pull out another day once its soaked up the dressing.
Prep tips: I served it with some freshly pickled jalapeño slices, but sriracha would be a nice spicy hit as well.
1-2 medium globe eggplants [about 1 ½ pounds], sliced into quarter-moons
salt
¾ cup water
¼ cup tahini
1 tablespoon molasses
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
olive oil
Toss eggplant with a good sprinkle of salt in a colander; let set while you make the dressing. Blend the water, tahini, molasses, soy sauce, and vinegar; set aside. Transfer the eggplant to a microwaveable bowl, and microwave for 2 minutes. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, and put in a single layer of eggplant (in batches if needed), searing until golden. Toss with the dressing and enjoy.
