For okra, I just saw an iron chef stuff them with chicken(cooked and seasoned)and cheese, then bread them and fry them like a jalepeno popper... I gotta try that!
My kids like these "meatballs" with pizza sauce on the side for dipping. Don't skip the real pecorino, it adds great flavor, it you can find it get italian brand, locatelli is a good one.
Eggplant "meatballs"
(from My Calabria by Rosetta Costantino)
1 large eggplant, about 1 pound , unpeeled
kosher salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs, more if needed
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino cheese
2T minced flat leaf parsely
1 garlic clove, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
Cut the eggplant in to 1 inch cubes. Bring 2 qt of water and 1 T salt to a boil in a 4qt pot over high heat and add the eggplant. Boil uncovered until eggplant is soft, about 10 mins. The cubes will want to float, so you will need to push them down into the water repeatedly with a spoon. Drain in a colander and let cool, then press on the eggplant with spoon to remove excess water. Finely chop by hand
( I put it in my food processor) In a bowl, combine
the eggplant, fresh breadcrumbs, cheese, parsely, and garlic. Blend gently with a fork, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix in the egg thoroughly. Fry a small piece and taste to check seasoning.
Working with a little of the mixture at a time, roll between your palms into small balls about 1 inch in diameter and set them on a tray. If the mixture is too moist to roll easily, stir in a few more fresh breadcrumbs. Roll each ball in the fine breadcrumbs to coat.
Pour olive oil into skillet to a depth of 1/2 inch. Don't skimp on the oil or the meatballs won't cook properly. When oil begins to shimmer, drop in a meatball, it should sizzle immediately, if not it's not hot enough yet.
Place half the meatballs in the pan, turning them gently with a slotted spoon, so as not to break them, until they are deep brown all over, about 3 minutes total. Transfer with slotted spoon to paper towel lined plate. Cool and serve. Attached Thumbnails
