Eggplants anyone?

Eggplant seedlings are growing well so far!

Eggplant is one of our favorite summer veggies, just behind tomatoes and peppers.  It is great brushed with a little olive oil and roasted on the grill.  Last year we also learned the joys of grilled pizza, but those recipes and instructions will come later once it's a little warmer.  Today, to get us all ready for eggplant, here's a list of the varieties we'll have available.  Unfortunately, eggplant needs heat to grow and heat to produce the yummy orbs of flavor. 

• Dusky - one of the earlier hybrid varieties that produce medium size, dark purple eggplants with small seeds and great flavor
• Black Beauty - one of the traditional favorites that produces large, dark purple eggplants that produce well into the warm days of fall
• Whopper - a new hybrid that we're trying for the first time this year.  Reported to be a prolific producer of
• Purple rain - purple-wine color with mini-white streaks. The photos in the seed catalog were an intriguing color and we can't wait to see how they turn out.  They are to have a mild flavor with very few seeds. 
• Louisana - long, green eggplant. We tried this one last year and enjoyed the flavor but only had a few.  We're giving the variety a second chance and hope to have better yields.
• Orient Charm - smaller pink/light purple eggplant of the Asian variety which means long rather than oval shaped.  This is our first year for this variety.  We're using it as a replacement for the more traditionally grown, Ichiban.  We've grown the Ichiban for a number of years but never really appreciated the flavor.  We'll see if this variety is better. 
• Fairytale - smaller, purple with white streaks, this variety seems to grow in bunches.  Makes great roasting or grilling choices or even good on a shish kabob

We'll keep you posted on their growing, but for now the plants look great!!