Cloud Nine Eggplant Souffle

The eggplant glut continues, requiring some creativity in the kitchen to avoid total burn-out.  We decided to do a week of eggplant dinners to highlight the versatility of this vegetable.  First up, eggplant souffle made with Cloud Nine eggplants.  This recipe is from Ana Sortun's book, Spice.  She and her husband are a mirror image of David and me -- he does the growing, she does the cooking -- and many of her recipes reflect their love of home-grown vegetables.  This souffle is excellent for those who are not totally enamored with eggplant because the the flavors of dill, asiago and sumac dominate in the finished dish.  Using fresh, firm eggplant is key to success here.

Eggplant Souffle
(adapted from Spice by Ana Sortun)

Ingredients

3      lbs       cloud nine eggplant (or any fresh eggplant)
1/4   cup      salt
1      cup      milk
1                 onion (outer layer only, peeled)
2     cloves  garlic, peeled
1                bay leaf
7     Tbs     butter
1/2   cup     flour
1/8    tsp     freshly grated nutmeg
1/2    tsp    sumac
1/4    tsp    black pepper
1/2    cup   grated asiago cheese
1/2    cup   fresh dill, chopped
4               eggs, separated

Procedure

1. Peel eggplants with vegetable peeler and cube.
2. Boil large sauce pan of water and add salt.  Add eggplant and reduce heat to medium high.  Cook until eggplant is soft.  Drain.
3. Puree in food processor until smooth.  Add pepper.  Measure 2 1/2 cups of puree and set aside.
4. Bring milk, onion, garlic and bay leaf to a boil over medium high heat.  Remove from heat and steep 10 minutes, then remove onion, garlic and bay leaf.
5. Melt 4 T butter over medium high until it starts to foam, then whisk in 1/4 C flour.  Whish until mixture is golden brown, then add hot milk and whisk until thick and doughy.  Add nutmeg and sumac.
6. Add cheese, dill and egg yolks.  Add eggplant puree.
7. Heat oven to 400.
8. Beat egg white to stiff peaks, then fold into the eggplant mixture.
9. Butter and flour eight 6-oz ramekins and fill each 3/4 to top with eggplant mixture.
10. Bake until golden brown and tall, about 20 minutes.
11. Dust with more sumac, and serve with greek yogurt and warm pita bread.
    

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