Eggplant Pickle
Photo: Ajna Jai / Contributor
The beginning of summer is one of the best times to enjoy the bounty of local produce. The markets are filled with beautiful heirloom eggplants and tomatoes starting to make an appearance. One way to capture the delicious flavors is to make preserves, pickles or masalas, all of which are secret weapons to deploy for making a meal in a pinch or to just enjoy on warm toast. Cumin, coriander and fennel seeds are popular pickling spices and will add a lingering flavor.
This eggplant pickle is more like a relish and tastes good cold or warm and can be preserved in jars. Or pair it with plain yogurt sprinkled with black or red chili pepper and lettuce leaves for a light appetizer.