I’m a big fan of this often maligned vegetable. It forms the base of my favourite dish which is a Spanish version of moussaka. However, it is not everyone’s favourite. Some say it’s soggy and uninspired. This may be related to textural preferences but I like to think it’s because they haven’t tried the full range of wonderful recipes that star this tomato relative. Just like peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos and friends, it is frost tender. Pre-start eggplants about 8 weeks before planting out in warm weather. For a nearly full proof harvest (in my experience), you can plant into solar stable clear plastic to warm the soil. This is not necessary however and there are many varieties that are well adapted to be grown in the Northeast of North America. Grow in a hot, sunny spot in the garden.

Eggplants, Solanum melongena, are thought to have been domesticated in Asia but spread beyond those boundaries to be used in many traditional recipes in India, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa as well. There are a few other related species that are used as eggplant/aubergine, but I’m going to stick to S. melongena for below. Most of the eggplants that we grow in the north are shorter varieties that flower fast and produce flushes of fruit.

It is a decorative edible and looks lovely interplanted with perennials though amend their planting spot and give them a little room so that the perennials (both above and below the ground) don’t over compete. Smaller varieties do well enough in containers. Market growers in the area, often grow with tomatoes in a poly tunnel so as long as it is well irrigated, you could add to a little greenhouse.

Most people consider eggplants to be purple but they come in a range of colours from white to green to lilac to striped to deep purple. They also come in a range of forms from long to round to tear drop shape. Here are Gaia’s varieties arranged in a helpful chart: