Oven roasted eggplant: Take your eggplant flavor to a new level with this roasting technique

When summer is here and the garden is in full swing, you can sometimes get overloaded with eggplant. After using your three favorite recipes a couple of times each, you need a new plan. Here is a primo suggestion for enjoying eggplant today or saving it for winter. These are roasted eggplant cubes that serve as a side dish with beef, top a salad in fine style, or get dropped in one of your homemade soups just before serving time.

You can use eggplant of any size or shape, just cut smaller eggplant (such as Japanese) into rounds or half-rounds and use the same process. We roast them in the summer when eggplant is abundant, eat them all summer long, and freeze some to enjoy throughout the winter as well.

Oven Roasted Eggplant Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 generous teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cups high heat oil (peanut, extra light olive oil, high oleic safflower oil)
• 2 finely crushed cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Multiply these ingredients by as many times as you have eggplant to process. Just remember that you cannot crowd the eggplant in the oven. Ten eggplant means you need to be in or near the kitchen for the afternoon.

Oven Roasted Eggplant Steps

1. Cut the eggplant into 1″ cubes and place in a bowl.
2. Sprinkle on the salt, garlic, and oil.
3. Toss well and allow to sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.
4. Spread cubes in a single layer on a cookie sheet. A little space between the cubes allows for better roasting.
5. Roast at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes. Time can vary depending on climate and the density of your eggplant. Toss the cubes a couple of times during the roasting process. Roast until the cubes are brown and the insides creamy.
6. Serve hot or at room temperature. Dress with extra virgin olive oil to taste before serving.

If you are going to freeze these cubes, loosen them on the cookie sheet and allow them to cool. When they have cooled, pop the cookie sheet into the freezer. The cubes will set up in a couple of hours. Pop them loose from the cookie sheet and place them in freezer bags. Your heart will sing when you take one of these bags of cubes from the freezer come winter.