Eggplant and Tomatoes: A Summer Combination That Inspires a Wide Range of Recipe Ideas
It took about 100 years for eggplant and tomatoes to forge a culinary friendship, but now these two summer ingredients help define some of the finest dishes throughout Europe and the Mediterranean.
Eggplants and tomatoes came together in a recipe at some point during the 16th century.
There isn’t a lot more that’s known about this culinary partnership. My research revealed that no one can say with any degree of certainty when these two ingredients were first combined in a recipe…or even determine where their introduction took place – was it Spain…or Italy…or perhaps somewhere else? It’s difficult to tell.
Today, of course, pairing these two ingredients is common throughout the Mediterranean. They work together with the power of diversity to create a distinctive taste that helps define regional classics. Consider the numerous salads featuring these two ingredients originating from North Africa to Turkey and extending eastward to the edges of what is still reasonably deemed the Mediterranean. Some are chunky. Some are pureed. Some have a Persian sweet-sour thing happening. All are deliciously spicy and perfect on any mezze-like table.
The same combination appears in the south of France where the classic ratatouille combination of eggplant, tomatoes, sweet peppers and zucchini is a summer ritual. Italy also has some classics that combine eggplant with tomatoes – I’m thinking of the traditional Sicilian Pasta Norma or Caponata recipes…or the Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan and countless other eggplant-tomato lasagna variations. Or waking up in Israel and enjoying a late morning eggplant Shakshuka. Or the Moorish-inspired Spanish eggplant-tomato salad…or tapa if you prefer. Or any of the numerous ways the Greeks like to present stuffed eggplants covered with sunbaked tomatoes. Or the classic Turkish Imam Bayildi – that was so delicious a fabled Imam from the Ottoman Empire fainted after tasting it.
It seems like there are endless variations throughout the entire Mediterranean region that feature the combination of eggplant and tomatoes. This week, I feature three variations from my recipe database that showcase the wide range of possibilities to explore when combining these two iconic summer ingredients that flourish throughout the Mediterranean.
Do you have any favorite recipes that combine eggplant and tomatoes? Maybe you have a special memory of something you tried while on holiday somewhere? Or maybe…just maybe, you have a different recipe from somewhere other than the Mediterranean? Drop a comment below to spark a conversation with me or other readers – we would love to hear your thoughts and discover more about your experiences.
Bulgur Pilaf with Tomato and Eggplant
Combining roasted or grilled eggplant (aubergine) with chopped tomatoes to create a rich…sometimes spicy sauce…is a popular accompaniment to coarse bulgur pilaf dishes throughout Turkey and the eastern Mediterranean. The Turkish varieties are normally a bit spicier than the variations found in Syria, Lebanon and Palestine that are called Shulbato.
The preparation for this dish is simple. The vegetables are usually prepared separately, then cooked with the pilaf or folded in afterwards. The pilaf is often served at room temperature or even cold as a salad. I like to enjoy it as an unusual breakfast.