What Vegetables are in Season in November?

Artichokes

Asparagus

Avocado

Beetroot

Broccoli

Cucumber

Eggplant

Green Beans

Lettuce

Onion

Peas

Spinach

Sweetcorn

Tomato

Zucchini

Zucchini Flowers

Eggplant Puree

This puree is one of those little recipes that’s great to have in your repertoire over the summer months.

I serve this puree with slightly grilled pide bread as a nibble before the BBQ is ready, as part of an antipasto platter or on a hearty lamb sandwich. Don’t stop there, just taste it and let it lead you to other combinations for your casual dining.

Ingredients

• 4 medium eggplant
• 2T capers - drained
• 1 red capsicum
• Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C
2. If keeping the skin on the eggplant (it gives little black flecks to the dip) - wash each eggplant really well
3. Prick each eggplant a few times and roast until soft - around 25 minutes
4. Remove from oven, cool, peel (optional) - let any juice to drain away as you don’t want the puree to be too sloppy
5. Grill the capsicum till black all round - peel over a sieve and save any juice you gather - discard the seeds and thick white membrane
6. Place the eggplant, capsicum and capers in a food processor and puree till well blended
7. Season well with salt and pepper to taste

My Tips

• I always add a little squeeze of lemon juice to this recipe - it gives a subtle lift to all the flavours
• Goats curd marries well with the flavours so …
• Pureed eggplant can have a not-too-pleasant colour which is why on most occasions I leave at least some of the skin on. In this recipe it doesn’t matter quite so much because the capsicum gives a colour contrast
• The capsicum juice you save can be used in a salad dressing, drizzled over char-grilled capsicum, where ever you think it will come in handy

This recipe comes from The Bayswater Brasserie Book of Food by Tony Papas and Hamish Keith

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