Amish country in the Fall is the perfect time of year to visit - harvest season. Vegetable stands are brimming with potatoes and squash and late summer corn and eggplant; the leaves are just starting to turn, farmers are plowing their autumn fields with their teams of Belgian horses and the pumpkin patches are crowded with bright orange pumpkins of all sizes. We talked with an Amish family for awhile recently and got to visit their home. A daughter was frying slices of eggplant on a log-burning stove and ended up giving us some eggplants to take home. Here is my version (jazzed up a bit) of fried eggplant. Mind you, this is not the healthiest way to prepare them!
2 decent-sized eggplants
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
Brown sugar
Peel eggplants and slice into very thin slices (about 1/4"). Mix together ground almonds, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Heat about 1/4" of vegetable oil in a large skillet. Dust each eggplant slice in almond mixture and fry in batches in skillet, turning, until deep golden brown. While they're frying, sprinkle a little brown sugar on both sides as you turn them. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in oven until all are cooked. Serves 6.
They're practically like a snack, an 'eggplant chip', so you can eat them warm right from the stove. Or, serve them as an accent dish to a big salad, or a pot of vegetable soup.