Several years ago, when my boys were younger, I did a lot of gardening and grew some of my own vegetables. I used to get a seed catalog from The Seed Savers Exchange and in the winter I would thumb through the catalog and read about the heirloom vegetables that were likely more common years ago.

I imagined growing purple peppers and tomatoes, green eggplant and juicy, deep red mini watermelons.

Of course, I found myself buying vegetable plants at garden nurseries instead of trying to grow plants from seed because it was easier than coaxing little seedlings to grow. We also had some naughty cats at the time who would eat the seedlings soon after they sprouted, so buying plants instead of starting from seed was the way to go.

Being in the store at Lull Farm reminded me of the Seed Savers Exchange catalog.

I was inspired by the different kinds of eggplant they grew; there were round green ones, white ones, some with purple stripes and of course the more common deep aubergine that you would see at the grocery store. I had no idea what to do with white or striped eggplant but I decided to grab a few of each kind available.

I used the different kinds of eggplant in a caponata with some fresh basil and garlic. This is an easy dish to make — you just chop up some garlic, heat it in olive oil, and add eggplant and onions.

Once those have cooked down, you add in diced tomatoes, vinegar, capers and seasoning and let it simmer.

I had a friend over when I was making the caponata and gave her some to try.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“It tastes like summer in my mouth,” she replied.

The other dish I made with the eggplant was a tart with roasted onions and feta cheese. This is one of those dishes that appears rather sophisticated but takes just a few steps and yields a great result.

I made a salad with the tomatoes; some were tart and firm while others were so sweet they tasted like candy.

When combined, the flavors and textures were so delicious it almost didn’t need any seasoning at all. I added a little olive oil, red wine vinegar, shallots and salt and pepper and it was excellent.

If you have the opportunity to visit one of the many farms in our state that has fresh vegetables for sale, you should make it a point to go.

Don’t be afraid to bring home something you haven’t tried before. When you have beautiful, fresh, local ingredients to use, inspiration will follow.

Eggplant, Onion and Feta Tart

9 ounces package puff pastry dough

2 cups eggplant, thinly sliced (you can use any kind)

1 sweet onion, sliced

1 cup kale, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons Harissa paste

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

2 tablespoons fresh basil, for garnish, if desired

Add eggplant and onion to a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, Harissa, sugar, salt and pepper.

Pour the olive oil mixture over the eggplant and onion and toss to coat. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet and set in an oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables have softened. Remove from oven and set aside.

Roll the puff pastry dough out according to package directions. Spread the kale and feta over the dough. Spread eggplant mixture in an even layer over the feta and kale and set in an oven preheated to 400 degrees.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until dough is light golden brown. Remove from oven and garnish with basil before serving.

Garden Tomato Salad

1 shallot, minced

3 cups assorted tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

3 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled, for garnish

Add all the ingredients except for the feta cheese to a bowl and toss gently to combine. Set in a refrigerator and chill for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Before serving, garnish with feta cheese.

Eggplant Caponata

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound assorted eggplant, chopped

1 sweet onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3.5-ounce jar capers, drained

14-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Set a saute pan over medium-high heat. When pan is warmed, add olive oil and garlic. Cook for about a minute, or until the garlic is starting to brown, then add the onion and eggplant and sauté for about 10 minutes or until the eggplant is browned and the onion is softened.

Add diced tomatoes, garlic, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and capers and stir. Cover and simmer until vegetables are soft and tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Garnish with basil before serving.