Imam Bayildi and Long Beans

Literally translated as "the Imam faints," this dish features eggplant (a huge favorite vegetable of mine) braised in a fresh tomato sauce. I heard about for the first time the other day, when I was listening to Ivan Watson interview an author on Morning Edition. This guy had written a mystery about Istanbul, in which a eunuch solves crimes and cooks delicious food. The author then makes this dish, Imam Bayildi, for Watson who declared it delicious.

So at the Farmer's Market yesterday, I hunted down a big, sexy eggplant and some heirloom roma tomatoes with this dish in mind. I also couldn't resist a bunch of long beans. I braised some green beans the other night, and wanted to try it again.

As I worked through the Imam Bayildi recipe, I started thinking - since I'm basically braising the eggplant, why not cook the long beans right in the same pan? So after I browned the eggplant and stuffed it with the tomato sauce, I sprinkled the trimmed beans into the pan around the eggplant, and poured the rest of the sauce on top. The jury is still out, since the dish is braising as I write, but it's looking good. If I like the results, I'll post a recipe.