We didn’t forget about you, eggplant

Hetty Lui McKinnon has just the recipe for this time of seasonal change.

View in browser|nytimes.com September 4, 2024 Hetty Lui McKinnon's grilled eggplant, herby lentils and turmeric tahini. Julia Gartland for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. We didn't forget about you, eggplant By Melissa Clark I've done my best in these missives this summer to highlight all of the season's seemingly endless bounty. Corn, tomatoes, watermelon! Zucchini, too! But there has been a glaring omission, I hate to say, and that's eggplant. O eggplant, is it too late to wax purple about you? Eggplant would surely answer, if it could, "Of course not, I'll be hanging around another few weeks." So let's make up for lost time with Hetty "Purple Pro" Lui McKinnon's grilled eggplant with herby lentils and turmeric tahini. This sunny dish walks the fine line between summer and fall as its earthy lentils lend autumnal gravity to those evanescently tender eggplant slices. It's almost as if summertime was saving the best for last. Featured Recipe Grilled Eggplant, Herby Lentils and Turmeric Tahini View Recipe → But don't think for a second that I'm done with tomatoes, especially because the most magnificent ones are really only now turning up in the Northeast. To keep the party going I'm giving Eric Kim's tomato curry a spin. Adapted from a recipe by the cook and farmer Julius Roberts, it's made with a base of whole spices tempered in oil and simmered in coconut milk with onions, ginger and fresh chile. Meanwhile, small ripe tomatoes are roasted until soft, then plopped into the fragrant, golden gravy along with fried curry leaves and cilantro. It's an absolutely stunning mix of rich colors, plush textures and vivid flavors. A bit less polychromatic but equally stunning is Vallery Lomas's recipe for roasted chicken thighs with hot honey and lime. This piquant banger packs a punch using only a handful of pantry ingredients, which imbue it with a fiery, sweet and citrusy notes. Serve it with some sliced tomatoes or cucumbers dressed with lime juice and the chicken drippings. Five-star brilliance doesn't get easier than this. Broccoli has been available at the farmers' market for weeks, but I've been ignoring it; it feels too autumnal to take home yet, though I know that mood will pass as September settles in. And when it does, I'll be ready with Millie Peartree's recipe for roasted broccoli with bacon. Millie smartly streamlines the usual broccoli and bacon situation by roasting everything together on a sheet pan, and adding a handful of smashed garlic cloves that caramelize and soften. If you like, you can drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on top for tang. Either way, it has a classic, cozy flavor profile that's hard to pass up. Here's another classic that's right on the nose any time of the year: turkey burgers, cherished by both children and the grown-ups who have to feed them. Martha Rose Shulman keeps hers from drying out by adding ketchup and grated onion to the patties before cooking them to lock in moisture. You can dress them with cheese, lettuce, pickles and — you guessed it — slices of juicy summer tomatoes, making for a family- and weeknight-friendly dinner. On to dessert! For a confection with a sweet and haunting bite, Ligaya Mishan adapted Arlyn Osborne's honey salabat tea cake, made with a potent Filipino ginger root tea. The ginger tea permeates every crumb and is augmented by ground ginger in the batter and a honey-lemon glaze on top. To finish on the zippiest note, a nubby garnish of crystallized ginger is added for both visual appeal and a pleasing, chewy texture. Serve thin slices with tea — ginger or otherwise — for a dainty, sophisticated treat. To get these and a slew of other seasonal and evergreen recipes at New York Times Cooking, you'll want to subscribe. If you're stymied by a technical kerfuffle, email the smart people at cookingcare@nytimes.com for help. And I'm at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi. Featured Recipe Beans and Greens Stew With Doenjang View Recipe → Sang An for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. For this week's one-pot delight, let's hit up Eric one more time for his umami-rich beans and greens stew with doenjang. The spicy, ruddy-colored broth is seasoned with fermented soybean paste, then loaded with chopped chard and canned cannellini beans, which you can crush to thicken the mix. Serve it as is or over rice for a simple, sustaining late-summer meal. IN THIS NEWSLETTER Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop Stylist: Heather Greene. Tomato Curry Recipe from Julius Roberts Adapted by Eric Kim 1 hour 15 minutes Makes 6 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. Roasted Broccoli With Bacon By Millie Peartree 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Chris Simpson for The New York Times Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas. Honey Salabat Tea Cake Recipe from Arlyn Osborne Adapted by Ligaya Mishan 1 hour 40 minutes, plus cooling Makes One (9-by-5-inch) loaf cake Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell. Roasted Chicken Thighs With Hot Honey and Lime By Vallery Lomas 35 minutes Makes 4 servings Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Simon Andrews. Turkey Burgers By Martha Rose Shulman 30 minutes Makes 4 burgers Sign up for the Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter Fresh dinner ideas for busy people who want something great to eat, with NYT Cooking recipes sent to you weekly. Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? 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