Eggplant Rollatini!

[BarbaraS]

Another barrier broken through with my Hubby!!

I plan my whole weekend menu by Thursday night for my Friday shop. Hubby has agreed to try Eggplant Rollatini on Sunday, but I'm going to make it from Issue 60 instead of the current issue and make it with ricotta and sub Boursin cheese for the goat cheese.

The funny thing is, I remember reading a [Email]C@H[/Email] article about selecting eggplants - there are male and female differences. Unfortunately, the last couple Recipe Indexes have no reference to the article.

Does anyone know the diff? I do recall female eggplants are less bitter than males, but can't remember the shape I should be looking for to divine the difference between the two.

Thanks,

BarbaraS

[cjs]

I've heard that over the years also and have never paid attention to it, but here is some info fro you -

Eggplant Basics

• Eggplants are annual fruit crops.
Eggplants grow on bush-like plants as an annual crop. They are an edible member of the nightshade family, and therefore related to the tomato. Eggplants thrive in hot weather, full sun and plenty of compost and fertilizer. The most common varieties in the United States are the dark purple "Black Bell" or "Purple Globe." Though most people treat eggplant as a vegetable, it is actually a fruit.

Male and Female External Features?

• Look at the bottom indentation of the eggplant.
When looking at the blossom (non-stem) end of the eggplant, you may notice a difference in the shape of the lighter-colored indentation. Some appear to have "shallow round indents on their bottoms," while others have an "indent [which] is deeper and more like a line," according to Practically Edible. Some believe that this indicates the specific sex of the fruit, with male eggplants displaying a round indentation and female eggplants showing a more linear, or oval, indentation.

Scientists Weigh In
• Eggplant flowers are self-pollinators.
However, as the University of Illinois Extension points out, eggplants, as fruit, are "the products of sex and do not have [a sex]." Plants that produce fruit require the pollination of their flowers. This occurs when pollen from the flower's male organs (stamen and anthers) comes in contact with the female organ (stigma) either by insect activity or wind. The pollen then travels down a tube below the stigma (style) and into the ovary, which eventually becomes the fruit. Eggplants are self-pollinators, meaning that they have both the male and female organs within the same flower.


Read more: Difference Between Male & Female Eggplant | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_6387833_differ...z24yglgaM1

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I think you're very wise to switch to Boursin if he is a little iffy about goat cheese. Fingers crossed!!

[Trixxee]

Quote:

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Scientists Weigh In
• Eggplant flowers are self-pollinators.
However, as the University of Illinois Extension points out, eggplants, as fruit, are "the products of sex and do not have [a sex]." Plants that produce fruit require the pollination of their flowers. This occurs when pollen from the flower's male organs (stamen and anthers) comes in contact with the female organ (stigma) either by insect activity or wind. The pollen then travels down a tube below the stigma (style) and into the ovary, which eventually becomes the fruit. Eggplants are self-pollinators, meaning that they have both the male and female organs within the same flower.

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So much of this makes sense to me as I took 7th grade Life Science just last year! LOL.

[Gourmet_Mom]

Trixxee, that is too funny!

Good luck, Barbara!

[cjs]

that is funny!!!

[farnfam]

Hmm, so Daph, since you have issue 60 did you compare the two? I tried cottage cheese in our Rollatine last nite, cuz I thought it'd lower the fat and calories. It wasn't too bad, Jame didn't mind. But I think the ricotta holds up better to the baking

[Mare749]

Trixxee, you're funny! And a great mom!

[BarbaraS]

Well since I made the manicotti last Sunday, the Eggplant Rollatini seems like and "encore" in a different skin so I'm holding it off for another week.

I saw the greatest varieties of eggplant in Wegmans today! There were Japanese and Graffiti! What a choice! All those varieties were on the small side which would make really cool appetizer rollatini thingies. Cool Beans!

Barbara

[Trixxee]

Quote:

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Trixxee, you're funny! And a great mom!

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Aww, thank you (and Daphne and Jean).

Well, this year I'll learn all about motion, forces, density and buoyancy, the solar system, scientific method, and finally chemistry (structure of matter, periodic table, reactions and the chemistry of living things).

Where's my rope? KIDDING!

[Gourmet_Mom]

Cis, do you mean Barbara? I'm not making this one. William has decided he doesn't really care for eggplant. I may have issue 60. If I do, I'll compare this weekend.