Eating With The Seasons: Miso Eggplant

Eating with the seasons can seem like a daunting goal for those of us who haven’t studied Traditional Chinese Medicine. After all, “late summer” as a fifth season is a new concept to many people. However, there is one tip that will make that task much easier: eat what is growing locally, and in-season with your environment. Plants respond to the climate just like our bodies do, and the fruits and vegetables that are ready for harvest are generally exactly what your body needs during the given season.

With that in mind, we took a trip to the local farmers market to gather inspiration for our recipe. Immediately we were drawn to a booth with delicious looking eggplants for sale, and it sparked our imaginations. We knew right away that miso eggplant is the perfect dish for the late summer season: it is sweet, slightly bitter and filled with probiotics and vital nutrients for the spleen and stomach meridians. TCM considers eggplant cool in nature, which makes it well suited for clearing heat and reducing dampness, a necessary function after the humid summer season.

Our new friends at Sow it Grows also gave us a piece of useful advice: when you’re shopping for Japanese eggplant, look for the darkest ones in the bunch. Those are going to be the most ripe and flavorful.

After picking our eggplants, the most essential ingredient is high-quality miso paste. We like to use the organic red miso paste made by Miso Master. This is another regionally local business, located in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, that makes the best store-bought miso we’ve tried.

While we used Japanese eggplant for this recipe, it is possible to use the larger common variety, but be aware you’ll have to adjust the cook time for how much larger the eggplant is.

(For more information on late summer, check out our oatmeal recipe)

Miso Eggplant Ingredients:

• 2 medium-sized Japanese eggplants

• ⅓ cup fresh ginger, sliced

• 3 tbsp coconut aminos

• 2 tbsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp mirin

• ¼ red miso paste

• Salt to taste

• Coconut oil (for greasing pans)

• Green onion (garnish)

• 1 small chili pepper (garnish)

Equipment:

• 1 small pot

• 1 cast iron or stainless steel pan

• Large spoon

• Whisk

• Kitchen shears

Miso Eggplant Recipe:

— Cut the eggplant at alternating diagonals, to create triangular pieces.

— Toss the eggplant with salt to coat. This helps draw moisture out of the eggplant. Set aside.

— While the eggplant is resting, cut the ginger.

— Add a small amount of coconut oil to the pot, heat it over medium heat. Add the ginger, a pinch of salt, and let cook until soft.

— Add the mirin, coconut aminos, and sesame oil. Reduce to low head and let it simmer while you cook the eggplant.

— Add coconut oil to the cast iron pan over medium heat. Let it heat up and then add the eggplant. The eggplant should sizzle when you put it in the pan if it is hot enough.

— Let the eggplant cook 2-5 minutes, or until the bottom sides are browned. Flip the eggplant and cook the same amount of time.

— While the eggplant is cooking, remove the sauce from heat and add the miso paste. Whisk until it is fully incorporated.

— Remove the cast iron pan from heat, and pour the sauce over the eggplant. Working quickly, use the large spoon to mix the eggplant into the sauce so each piece is coated.

— Immediately pour the eggplant mixture into a dinner bowl. Cut the garnishes over the plate using kitchen shears, and then serve immediately.

This eggplant dish works great as a side dish, but can also work as a main course when served over white rice. We recommend preparing one eggplant per person you’re serving.