How are your gardens growing? We haven't forgotten about gardening here, even though we haven't talked much about it lately. Here's one of the best surprises from my little garden this summer: eggplant!
Best Garden Surprise: Fairy Tale Eggplants
When I started the garden this year, I heard some dire warnings about eggplants. They get attacked by all sorts of beetles and grubs, apparently, and they also take forever to grow. Well, those big dark globe eggplants do, anyway; getting them to the gigantic size in the supermarket takes months.
I also planted my heirloom seeds way too late, I thought — I didn't start them until nearly May.
And yet... look at this! Little Japanese eggplants — this variety is called Fairy Tale — are already emerging from their lovely blooms. And these are the second cultivar to bear; I already have had several small dark eggplants off my Mangan variety plant. (I grilled slices with olive oil and mozzarella — delicious!)
But these little Fairy Tale eggplants are especially beautiful, with their creamy color and violet stripes. I am looking forward to eating many small, tender eggplants during the rest of the summer!
Also, this variety stays small enough for containers, and it is beautiful too. It has electric purple blossoms with egg yolk colored centers, and some people even grow it as a decorative plant.
Next year, guess what I'm lining my vegetable bed with? That's right — a whole row of these little lovelies!
Are you growing eggplant? How has it been going? What are you eating out of the garden right now?
Related: Learning to Love Eggplant: How to Pick 'Em, Cook 'Em, and Eat 'Em
(Images: Faith Durand)
Tags
Gardening, Summer, Ingredients - Vegetables, stripes, Japanese eggplant, eggplantRelated Links
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i loved eggplant until saturday....i had bought some beautiful eggplants at the farmers market, sliced them up and grilled them, they tasted great. about an hour later i had the worst stomach pains ever which are still lingering today. after some research, it turns out some people can have really bad digestion problems with larger eggplants with thick skins :-(
view brianmac's profile
We grew these last year! They were the most amazing eggplant ever ever. They were so great done in a quick sear and they aren't bitter at all. Just make sure to get them small! I intended to buy seed for them again this year but didn't get around to it. I'm so jealous!
view FlyLittleBird!'s profile
I've always thought that Ichiban eggplants were beautiful enough to plant within any flowerbed. I love the purple veins running through the leaves, and matching purple flowers and then eggplants.
Florida grew me oceans of eggplants, too many to eat. Here in Arkansas, they got attacked by beetles nonstop. This year, eggplant FAIL. I'll try again next year.
view fuzzy's profile
I grew one of these and it's adorable -- but how do you tell when they're ready to harvest?
view Owl's profile
Sigh. My eggplants totally failed this year. But I've been getting lots of them at the market. I like to make curries with them!
- Amelia of Gradually Greener
view GreenCayennes's profile
My eggplants have just barely started to put on any growth- and they've been in ground for 2 months! I guess there's still time to hope, but man while everything else just multiplies, they sit, tiny and unmoving.
Cheyenne
view pdx-R's profile
I read this, walked past a farmers' market, and there they were! I can't wait to cook and eat them!
view bewarethebaobabs's profile