Fairy Tale Eggplants with Yogurt Sauce

Our CSA had these cute little eggplants this week.  Called "fairytale eggplants" they are only four inches long at their biggest, with a skin much thinner than traditional eggplant.  My usual go-to with eggplant is to grill or roast, but I was curious if these little guys could be steamed instead.

 My instincts were right!  The steamed eggplant came out very creamy with a almost buttery texture and the skin was soft.  Paired with a simple yogurt dip and some grilled flatbreads, we had lunch on the table in under 15min.  Don's initial reaction was: "what is this?!?"  I held my tongue while he took his first bite.  I tried to hide my smugness when he then said, "holy cow!  that is absolutely delicious"



If you want to give this a try, I suggest heading to a farmers market to find the eggplant.  If you can't find the fairy tale variety, opt for the smallest ones you can find with a more tender skin.  You may also want to increase the steaming time if it's a larger eggplant.  It's a very simple dish, but at this time of year with the produce at it's best, I can think of no better way.  Enjoy!



Fairy Tale Eggplants with Yogurt Sauce

8-10 fairy tale eggplant
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove
1 tsp za'atar spice
salt and pepper
olive oil
sesame seeds
scallions
flat bread/pita

Set up a steamer and slice the eggplant in halves.  Arrange in the steamer and steam for about 10 min, until very tender.  Remove and top with yogurt sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, sesame seeds and some sliced scallions.  Serve with grilled pitas or bread.
To make sauce: in blender add yogurt, za'atar, salt/pepper and garlic.