Eggplant needs a lot of heat, ideally grown in a greenhouse, to develop optimally. With the advice of Roland Motte, our gardener, who is also a gourmet.
Eggplant, from its name Solanum Melongena, is a sun vegetable. She likes the heat. This is why it is grown in greenhouses. It is an annual plant that we will sow or plant in early spring. the fruits, very ripe – you have to feel them to be sure – are harvested from July to October. There are different colors, white, purple, pink, striped…
You have to wait until it is at least 5 degrees and the ground is warm to be able to start growing eggplant. Like tomatoes, it is part of the Solanaceae family and can therefore be affected by mildew. The greenhouse is ideal since it does not receive rainwater, mulch the foot and avoid watering the foliage, your eggplants can only do well.
In the kitchen, eggplant is eaten in different forms but always cooked -raw, it looks like a sponge-, ratatouille, eggplant caviar, moussaka… and one more idea, cut it into slices, brush with olive oil and grill on the plancha. To be enjoyed in summer during your barbecues.
– Roland Motte
Find Roland Motte on France Bleu Lorraine and France Bleu Besançon and on his website www.guideconsojardin.com. You can also follow @rolandmotte on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.