It’s #VeggieWednesday – and today, it’s all about eggplants! Eggplants (or aubergines), known for their deep rich purple color and spongy texture, are really berries and not veggies. Eggplants are in the nightshade family, just like tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, and tobacco.

A new variety of eggplant we are growing this year is the Annina F1. The Annina F1 is a beautiful spineless purple and white striped Italian-type eggplant. These teardrop shaped eggplants typically grow to 5-7″ long. Over the last few weeks, we have been able to distribute different varieties of eggplants to our CSA customers and our Farm to Food Bank Program.
Eggplants are a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins B1, B6, and K. You may not know this, but eggplant has the highest level of nicotine of any vegetable. But you don’t have to worry about eating too much eggplant, as it’s a very small amount, and you would have to eat 20-40 pounds of eggplant to equal the amount of nicotine from smoking one cigarette.

Eggplant can be enjoyed grilled or stir fried, and some common eggplant dishes include moussaka, eggplant parmigiana, ratatouille, and baba ghanoush. Because of its texture and bulk, eggplants are used as a meat substitute in vegetarian and vegan dishes. If you haven’t had too much eggplant, give it a try!