I got eggplant from my CSA and I want to caramelize it.

I went to a restaurant in my hometown that had a delicious eggplant sandwich. The eggplant was charred and seemed slightly sweet. All I can think is that it was caramelized.

Any tips? Does this dish sound familiar? It was at a Mediterranean place.

I got a huge watermelon last week from my produce share. Here's what I made with it:

The dressing was delish and I will definitely make it for salad greens in the future. Also I think the call to marinade was too long, but that could just be because I like the crunch and freshness of watermelon.

Watermelon and Orange Salad (from cooks.com)

1 c. pecan halves, broken
1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 lg. shallot, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
2 navel oranges
1 head romaine lettuce (or leaf, iceberg, etc.)
1 bunch arugula or watercress, with tough stems removed (optional)
8 radishes, thinly sliced
1/2 med. red onion, thinly sliced
4 c. seeded 1 inch watermelon chunks

(I marinate in 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar and 6 ice cubes for 1 hour or more after placing sliced onions in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute and draining.)

1. Toast nuts for 8 minutes at 350 degrees; set aside to cool.

2. Meanwhile, in a screw-top jar, combine the vinegar, shallot, salt, pepper and olive oil. Cover and shake well.

3. With a small knife, peel oranges, cutting off all bitter white pith and outer membrane; slice oranges crosswise, 1/4 inch thick. Quarter the slices.

4. In a bowl, toss lettuce, arugula, radishes and onion. Add the oranges, watermelon and toasted nuts.

5. Shake dressing again and pour over the salad and toss. Serve at once.

oooh, that reminds me of a great salad I had once: the main ingredients were watermelon and feta cheese. great combo!

I got butternut squash last week and this recipe was in this month's Martha Stewart Living (The pictures look amazing. I haven't tried it yet.):

Ingredients

Serves 8

* 3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
* 1 pound whole-milk ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 2 large egg yolks
* 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated (2 cups)
* Freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/3 cup loosely packed fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
* 1 1/4 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
* Fresh Lasagna Noodles, (you will need only 1/2 of the batch), cut into 4-by-13-inch strips and cooked, or store-bought dried noodles, cooked
* 4 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (1 1/4 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash, oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a baking sheet. Season with pepper. Bake until light gold and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool.
2. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Combine ricotta, cream, yolks, mozzarella, and a pinch of nutmeg in a medium bowl. Season with salt.
3. Melt butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add sage, and cook until light gold and slightly crisp at edges, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Place squash in a medium bowl, and mash 1/2 of it with the back of a wooden spoon, leaving the other 1/2 in whole pieces. Gently stir in sage-butter mixture and stock. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Spread 3/4 cup of ricotta mixture in a 9-cup baking dish. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1/2 of the butternut squash mixture over noodles. Top with a layer of noodles. Spread 1 cup of ricotta mixture over noodles. Repeat layering once more (noodles, squash, noodles, ricotta). Sprinkle Parmesan over ricotta mixture.
6. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until cheese is golden and bubbling, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.