I first had this stuff at a restaurant in Louisville. It was SO GOOD, but then the owner opened another branch and spent all his time there, and the cooks couldn’t make it right. Bleh. So then they printed his recipe in the newspaper, so now I make it myself. Only during the summer, though, because fresh eggplant and fresh tomato.

The recipe that follows is the one in the paper. It says it serves six. Naturally, I don’t make this much. I make about a fourth of this much to serve two. I also roasted the eggplant by cutting it in half lengthwise and cooking it in the toaster oven, rather than heating up a whole oven oven.

Mirza ghassemi

• 2 medium eggplants
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup butter or shortening
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tomato, peeled and chopped
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

Roast the eggplants over a charcoal grill until brown. Or roast them in a 400-degree oven until brown on the outside and soft on the inside (test with a fork). Cool and peel. Mash the pulp.

Saute the onions and garlic in the butter or shortening until golden brown. Stir in the turmeric. Add the eggplant pulp and saute briefly, stirring well. Add the salt and pepper. Stir tomato into the eggplant.

Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes. Pour eggs over the eggplant. When the eggs start to solidify, stir briefly and serve.

The white stuff is Jasmine rice. The green stuff is kale from our garden with some local bacon. My bad.

A WRITING PROMPT FOR YOU: A character finds something useful in the paper.

MA