Thursday, December 17, 2009

Eggplant compote with yellow split peas



Here we use the last Thai Long Green eggplants of the year.  This was definitely our favorite eggplant variety of the year -- beautiful, very productive and great taste.  Second place goes to Cloud Nine, even prettier and more productive but the fruits are smaller so a bit trickier to use in the kitchen.  Since both varieties are hybrids, we did not save seeds, but we will be sure to order Thai Long Green and Cloud Nine seeds for next year and we recommend that you do the same.

This dish is time-consuming, but well worth the effort.  It is inspired  by a Diane Kochilas recipe, but we adapted it to use our eggplants, basil and tomatoes.  A delicious weekend project.

Eggplant Compote with Yellow Split Peas

Ingredients

Split Peas
1        lb         yellow split peas, rinsed and drained
6        cups     water
2        cups     red onion, chopped
2/3     cup      olive oil
1                    bay leaf
2        tsp       sea salt
1/4     cup      fresh lemon juice

Eggplant Compote
1        lb        eggplant, sliced
1 1/4  tsp       sea salt
2        cups    tomatoes, peeled and diced
6        Tbs     olive oil
2                   yellow onions, diced
1        tsp      honey
2        Tbs     fresh basil, chopped
1/4     tsp      black pepper
2        tsp      balsamic vinegar

Procedure

Split Peas
  1. Cook onions in 1/3 cup olive oil until soft.  Add split peas and mix well, then add water and bay leaf.  
  2. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, partially covered, until peas have broken down, about 1 hour.
  3. Add salt and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until peas are thick and creamy.
  4. Discard bay leaf, add lemon juice and 1/3 cup olive oil, then cover and set aside to thicken.
Eggplant Compote
  1. Heat 3 Tbs olive oil over medium and saute eggplant until golden.  Flip and repeat.  Remove to paper towels to drain.
  2. In same pan, add 3 more Tbs olive oil and saute onions over low until soft and golden, about 20 minutes.  Add garlic and cook a few more minutes.  Add honey, then eggplant, tomatoes, basil, pepper and salt.  Simmer gently.
  3. Add vinegar at the end, then remove from heat.
  4. Serve warm compote on top of warm split peas.
Eggplant Compote with Yellow Split Peas made the Foodbuzz Top 9 today! The Foodbuzz Top 9 is a photo-driven collection of top-buzzed posts within the Foodbuzz community. Check it out here: http://www.foodbuzz.com/top9.. Congratulations again, and thanks for being a part of Foodbuzz! Cheers,  The Foodbuzz Editorial Team


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    16 comments:

    1. I love this dish, I can just imagine how velvety the texture can be!

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    2. I don't think I've ever seen a prettier picture of yellow peas! This dish sounds wonderful! And your eggplant tips are helpful. My seed catalogs are coming soon. . . can't wait! So I will look out for a good eggplant for my climate--sadly, I didn't get one single eggplant this year from my garden.

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    3. Delicious! The silky texture of the eggplant compote looks incredible!

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    4. Great combination of eggplant and split peas

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    5. Looks amazing! I think I can grab some pita chips and eat this all day long!

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    6. YUM! I mean delicious! I have to stop looking at blog posts or else I am making all these dishes tonight!! :)

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    7. Mmm, those yellow peas are kind of a totally original and delicious kind of pea hummus. I love it.

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    8. I am envious of your access to different varieties of eggplants. I'll have to plant some in my garden next year. This compote looks delicious!

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    9. The compote would be delicious on pasta as well!

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    10. Hybrids are the reason so much of my gardening has failed! But now I know the error of my ways, there's hope for me. In small measures.

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    11. Oh wow, the mashed yellow peas look awesome good! Love your idea. Well done!

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    12. I try to think of specific things to point out about your posts, but I'm constantly floored by the entire effect rather than any one aspect. Flavor combos, colors, the fact that you grew it yourself... So jealous of your well-roundedness! You make me want a garden so badly. Maybe I'll go guerilla and start one in the parking lot out back...

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    13. This looks so good. I am definitely going to try to plant eggplant for next year!

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    14. Such an incredibly gorgeous dish! We adore all eggplants, so I'm very excited about fixing this recipe! Thank you!

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    15. oh yes,
      a very good food
      Greeting

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