As a preschooler, I wasn't quite sure what eggplant was, but I was very sure I didn't like it. What good could possibly come from crossing an egg with a plant?

My mother, who brought us up on Greek salad, Korean meatballs, and southern grits, couldn't understand why my sister and I would eat anchovies, but not eggplant. It took her almost a decade to get me to try this luscious, purple skinned vegetable, and I'm pretty sure it had something to do with its name.

Maybe if Mom had referred to them as aubergines or melanzane, I would have discovered one of my all-time favorite vegetables a little sooner.

Did you know?

• Eggplant originated in India.
• Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing eggplant to America.
• Like portabella mushrooms, eggplant is known as "vegetarian steak," because of its rich, meaty flavor and substantial texture.
• Eggplant tastes better if you cut it up, put it in a colander with a lot of salt (several tablespoons), let it sit for at least 10 minutes, and rinse it thoroughly before cooking it. That way, the eggplant releases its bitter juices into the sink and not into your dish.

Find it!

• Though only one Northwest Michigan farm specifically lists eggplant, many of the 99 farms that grow vegetables also grow eggplant. It's also easy to find local eggplant at farmers markets throughout Michigan. You can find these farms and farmers market at the Institute's guide to local foods, www.tastethelocaldifference.org.
• Press the "Search Now" button in the "Find a Farm!" box, click on "eggplant", or "vegetables," the county you're interested in, and then "Find It!" for a long list of farms.  

Try it!

• Having a barbecue? Brush thick slices of eggplant with oil and grill them for a few minutes on each side. If you're feeling ambitious, marinade them several hours ahead of time or overnight. Olive oil, red wine or sherry, and canola oil, sesame seed oil (a little bit goes a long way), and soy sauce are both good combinations.
• Add a layer of sliced eggplant to your favorite lasagna recipe.
• Eggplant is capable of absorbing more oil than any other vegetable. If you are watching your fat intake, try baking it or broiling it. You can also mix wine, sherry, or soy sauce with the oil and sauté the eggplants—they'll absorb plenty of liquid and flavor, but not as much fat.
• Ratatouille with lentils and chickpeas

A higher protein, more substantial version of a classic recipe.

1 eggplant
1 zucchini
1 summer squash (optional)
3 green peppers
2 medium-to-large onions
3-4 cloves garlic
2 big cans of chopped tomatoes, or 25 fresh plum tomatoes
1 can of chickpeas
1 cup of red lentils, uncooked, or 2-3 cups cooked green or brown lentils
Fresh basil leaves, if available
Olive oil

If you are using fresh tomatoes, preheat the oven to 250 degree, wash the tomatoes and cut them in half. Put the tomatoes, cut side up, on a cookie sheet or in a roasting pan with some olive oil. Add 3-4 extra cloves of garlic, peeled and cut in half if you like. Roast the tomatoes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, while you do everything else.

Wash the vegetables. Cut the stem off the eggplant and chop the eggplant into 1 inch chunks. Put the eggplant in a colander, sprinkle a lot of salt onto it (several tablespoons for a colander full of eggplant), and put the colander in the sink. This will make the eggplant release its bitter juices before you add it to the dish.

Peel and chop the onions and garlic. Sauté the onions in olive oil (put them in a pot that's big enough to hold all the veggies) for 5-10 minutes, then add the garlic and sauté for five minutes.

While the onions are sautéing, cut the zucchini (and summer squash, if you're using it) in half lengthwise, and then chop it into half moons, then add them to the onions and garlic.

Rinse the eggplant thoroughly, and add it to the onion, garlic, zucchini, and summer squash. Sauté until the eggplant and zucchini are tender.

Chop the bell peppers into11/2 inch strips. Add them to the vegetables and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, along with any juices, to the other vegetables. Add the red lentils and chickpeas, stir, then add enough water to cover the lentils. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer until the lentils are tender. Add basil towards the end of the cooking time, and add salt to taste (you will need more salt if you used fresh tomatoes).

Taste the Local Difference is part of the Michigan Land Use Institute's Entrepreneurial Agriculture Project, which aims to grow jobs, save farmland, and build healthier communities with food that's thousands of miles fresher. Find more than 200 farms and fishers who sell fresh foods on their farms, in farmers markets, and to restaurants and stores at www.LocalDifference.org . TLD lead sponsors are Traverse City State Bank, the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indian, and the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce.