There's something in the air around here. I've been on an Asian kick for the past week. Sushi, stir fries, sweet-and-sour - I just can't get enough of it! Two of my Asian favorites are sweet-and-sour eggplant, and peanut sauce with stir-fried peppers and water chestnuts.

Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant

Here in Montana, I had to leave most of my eggplant in the garden as long as I could. It just doesn't get hot enough here to grow bumper crops of eggplant, but I'm pleased to say that the season closed with the harvest of a few beauties. My college friend Ambrose gave me this eggplant recipe years ago, and it's fantastic.

• 3-4 eggplants, small dice


• 1/2 cup peanut oil


• 1/2 cup ginger root (about 1 medium/small piece), small dice


• 1/4 cup garlic (about 1 medium/small bulb), small dice


• 1/8 cup sesame oil


• 1/2 cup soy sauce


• 1/2 cup sugar


• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Directions: Saute eggplant in peanut oil until brown (can't really overcook). Set aside to cool. Saute garlic and ginger in sesame oil until slightly caramelized. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat for 3 min. Mix with eggplant and let sit for at least an hour. Serve hot or cold.

This stuff is delicious over rice or noodles, but my favorite is with pita bread triangles toasted in the oven. That's the best kitchen tip I've got: Dress up any dip or dish with toasted pita triangles. They're easy prep and much prettier than your standard dipping chip.

Peanut Sauce with Stir-Fried Peppers and Water Chestnuts

I learned of this peanut sauce recipe while hiking in the Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness a few years ago. Someone on the trip brought a plastic jar of this stuff on the trail, and after a day of hard hiking, I thought this was the best sauce I'd ever eaten. I don't know if you're familiar with the phenomenon where food tastes better when you're tired, in the middle of the woods, and without a variety of resource, but this sauce has nothing to do with that. It was just as good when I tried it at home, and I got to eat twice as much because I didn't have to share.

• 1/2 cup peanut butter


• 1/2 cup warm water


• 2 Tbsp tamari


• 2 Tbsp sugar


• 1 tsp rice vinegar (or other white vinegar)


• 3 cloves garlic, chopped


• 1 inch slice of ginger root, grated or chopped


• cilantro, cayenne, and salt, to taste

The original directions suggest that you mix the peanut butter with warm water first, but I like to mix the warm water with all of the other ingredients, mix in the peanut butter, and then add extra water to taste. If you have time, letting the sauce sit before serving allows all the flavors to mix nicely.

Stir-fry whatever you can find in your garden. It's been cold around here, and my pickings are pretty slim. I was able to round up a few peppers for this, but there wasn't much else that hasn't been canned or frozen (some by me, and some by the frost!). The peanut sauce really takes front and center with this dish, so you can slip in whatever veggies you like.

Ever been to Reno? Strange question to start the day with, but stick with me for a moment. Reno, which may not necessarily be talked about fondly outside the bowling or gambling circles, is home to favorite restaurant in the whole-wide world: the Pneumatic Diner.

I really wanted to call this the "Made-up Muffuletta Sandwich," because event though it's been a few years since I've been to Reno, I have fond memories of ordering the Muffuletta sandwich from the Pneumatic Diner. I googled Muffuletta and found that the real sandwich is nothing like what I ordered, so I decided to try to recreate my favorite sandwich on my own. And, as not to confuse other googlers, I don't feel like I can call this muffuletta. This is less about the bread and more about the insides of the sandwich.

With all those disclaimers out of the way, let's get started.

Gather your ingredients. You'll need some marinara sauce (extra points if you've made it from your own tomatoes) and some pesto (I get extra points here). Find some parmesan - our grocery has some great coarsely shredded parmesan in bulk. Grab some garlic and some salt for flavor. Pick up a baguette at your local bakery. And then... dash into your garden and pluck all those ready zukes, squash, eggplants, and onions out of their plots and bring them back in the kitchen.

Wash and chop the squash and zukes and garlic and, if you'd like, a yellow onion, and begin to stir fry with a little olive oil. Wash the eggplant and slice it thinly. Fry this separately so that you can get most the water to evaporate. The eggplant will crisp up nicely if you give it time.

Cut your baguette in sandwich size chunks and then slice them lengthwise. Toast it to your preference and spread with a generous portion of that storebought or homemade (pats self on back) pesto.



Once the squash and zukes are hot but not soggy, put your marinara sauce in the pan. How much marinara? Well, I used about two cups per one giant zuke and two small squash. It's really up to you - this is definitely a forgiving recipe. All the ingredients are add to taste.

Layer your eggplant on top of the pesto, then cover with the squash/zuke marinara. Sprinkle parmesan and some crisp purple onions on top.




Now, here's the tricky part - I made this a sandwich, but my memory is a little clearer now. The Pneumatic Diner served theirs open-faced, probably because all that yummy marinara squeezes out when you put the halves together. I'd recommend repeating these steps on the other half of your bread. It'll be twice as good, I guarantee it!