It’s hard to imagine my late summer kitchen without eggplant.

Strolling the farmers markets, I can’t hold back and pile my basket with eggplant in all shapes and sizes — black, thin and footlong; bright fuchsia; magenta with white striations; pale violet; light green; egg-shaped ivory.

Given its mild flavor and dense texture, there’s a lot eggplant can do. It often stands in for meat when sautéed or in casseroles or on the grill.

At the farmers market, look for firm, shiny eggplants that are heavy for their size. A botanical cousin to the tomato, pepper and potato, eggplant doesn’t like the cold so do not refrigerate it. I like to display a variety of them in a big basket on the kitchen counter to use throughout the week. Despite their different colors and shapes, all eggplants taste si

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