Today I have been thinking about aubergines. Maybe it was the sun being out again and the blue skies and my mind jumped, from the possibility of being able to light a barbeque over the next few days if it continues like this, to what I could cook on it.

One of the first things I like to cook over the coals is an aubergine. There is no better way to char its skin and soften up the flesh inside.

The thinking was going on as I dozed in my seat on a train on the way back from London. I briefly put pen to paper and started to make out a list in orange ink of the various dishes I could cook. I wanted to get to a dozen. Once I had done that then each dish would have enough variations going on from it I should in theory end up with an infinite number of aubergine options.

I got to 10 as follows:-

Fried slices of aubergine with sage, lemon & garlic

Aubergine puree with garlic, yogurt and tahini

Aubergine pieces roasted with peppers, onions and tomatoes mixed to make a salad

Aubergines in a stew with chick peas

Whole roasted aubergines with oil, dill and feta cheese

An aubergine soup with tomatoes

Crisped fried slices of aubergine

Fried aubergine with honey

Aubergine with pomegranate

Aubergine with lamb chops

Aubergine puree with minced lamb

Almost enough for a book?