Falling and Eggplant

As a Pennsylvania native, I've always been partial to fall. It's the most understated of months. Autumn is so very unlike the other three seasons that boast in their uniqueness: Winter is cold and hosts the years biggest holiday, Spring thaws and reveals nature's new colors, Summer scorches and allows time for camaraderie unavailable during the rest of the year. 

What is Autumn? She's a harbinger. Signaling the end of the heat and tomfoolery of Summer while heralding the coming chill of Winter, Fall dons her flaming foliage in her season to signify the beginning of the end. The heat and play of Summer cease while we are steered into Winter's time of difficult conditions in which we must navigate our lives while inching closer to the end of yet another calendar year.

A signpost, that is what this season is. A metaphor illustrating for many of us, myself included, the season of life we find ourselves in. Facing an ending but not a finale. Stepping into a new season that is wrought with cold uncertainty but not without its beauties. 

Make sure you bundle up for the journey my friends.

Original recipe credit to The Iron You blog http://www.theironyou.com/2014/05/the-best-eggplant-patties.html

What you'll need (Sorry no pictures)
Food processor or blender
1 eggplant, skinned and diced
1/2 small onion or 2 green onions, diced
1 garlic clove, pealed and minced
1 cup shredded cheese of your choice, I used mild cheddar
1 cup breadcrumbs of your choice  (if you get flavored ones you might want to skip adding seasonings)
1 Tbs Mixed Up Salt or seasoning mixture of your choosing
Olive oil

Optional: 3/4 cup additional vegetable, I had some carrots laying around so I sauteed those and threw them in the food processor as well. You can add zucchini, cauliflower or any other vegetable that needs to be used before its expiration date. 

In a pan, preferably one with high sides, heat some olive oil to cook your onion and garlic in first. Over med-high heat, cook your pungent ingredients until your union is translucent. Transfer the onion and garlic to a food processor or blender. In the same pan with a bit more oil cook your eggplant until brown and soft. This will take a few minutes but be careful to avoid turning up the heat in a moment of impatiences, you'll burn your pieces.

Mash all your cooked ingredients in your processor (if you're adding more vegetables place them in the processor as well at this point, you can cook them first in some oil as well). You may need to puree your plants in shifts. What I mean is I could run the blades for about two minutes then I had to turn off the processor to mix the conglomeration so the bigger pieces near the top got pushed to the bottom and mashed as well. It's not going to be pretty once it's all blended together FYI.

Remove your mixture from the processor when you feel it's blended enough. Add your remaining ingredients and stir until consistent.

Form your completed mixture into patties and saute in a pan (the same one that you started with if it's not soaking in the sink). Once your patties are nicely browned on each side remove them from heat.

Enjoy in a wrap, as a burger substitute or on flat bread with tahini sauce.

I really wanted to like these patties. The eggplant absorbed much of the olive oil making the end result rather oily. I placed two paper towels in the bottom of the tupperwear container that I stored the leftovers in and found that these were a bit better than than the ones hot off the press since the towels had absorbed some of the excess of the oil.Maybe next time I'll just grease the pan with nonstick spray and dry cook the eggplant pieces. 

No doubt take two of this recipe will be better. All said and done 4 stars