adapted from about.com

Ingredients

6 to 8 Japanese eggplant, about 2 pounds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
salt and pepper (to taste)
minced fresh basil (or any other herb you choose) to taste
 

Directions

Wash and pat dry eggplants. Combine olive oil and garlic. Rub eggplants with this mixture, coating each well. Sprinkle eggplants with salt and pepper. grill until soft. sprinkle basil on last. yum!
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Baba Ganoush
adapted from www.wholefoodsmarket.com
 

Ingredients

4-5 Japanese eggplants
1/4 cup lemon juice (or less)
1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste, available at most grocery stores in the international isle or with the peanut butter)
1–2 garlic cloves
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
parsley (optional)
 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400. Pierce the eggplants with a fork a few times and bake for about 25-35 min or until tender and somewhat deflated. Mash, chop, or puree the eggplant depending on the texture you prefer. add the other ingredients. Serve at room temperature with warm pitas or a full Mediterranean course.
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Simmered Eggplant with Ginger Sauce (Nasu No Ohitashi)
adapted from www.vegan-food.net
 

Ingredients

2-3 Japanese eggplants, or about 8 oz
1 x 1 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated (tip-keep in the freezer and it will grate better for you)
1 T good-quality Japanese soy sauce (eg Kikkoman)

Directions

Cut the stem end off the eggplants, but don't trim the blunt end. Cut them in half lengthways. This should make 4-6 pieces roughly the same size. Bear in mind that the stem ends seem to lose more size in cooking. In a pan wide enough to take all pieces in a single layer, bring 1.6 pints water to the boil. Add the eggplants, skin side down, and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes, turning after about 3 minutes, until soft but not mushy (test by pricking with a fork). Drain the eggplant pieces and cool on a plate, skin side up (don't throw away the remaining liquid; use it to make stock). More liquid will come out as they cool; when cool enough to handle, press gently with your hand to squeeze out water without crushing the eggplant. Avoid squeezing out too much - the eggplant should still be somewhat moist. When cool, slice each piece lengthwise into 1/8 inch pieces. Arrange slices casually on small dishes or saucers. Mix ginger and soy sauce and spread on top of the eggplant. This dish can be served hot, at room temperature, or chilled. To serve hot, slice and dress the eggplant as soon as it's cooled enough for you to handle.