Eggplant and Bananas

I bribed Maura to eat her vegetables last night. I offered to make her dessert if she ate her eggplant and tomatoes. Mara detests eggplant and it’s a struggle to get her to eat anything that contains it. I can’t say I blame her. Eggplant isn’t my favorite vegetable either.

The eggplants were little Brazilian ones, about the size of jalapeno peppers with green and yellow stripes. I sliced them crossways, like jalapenos for nachos. Then I pan fried them with onion, garlic, and sweet red peppers. After they had cooked down I added a diced tomato. A little salt and cumin seed completed the dish. I thought it turned out fairly well. The sugar in the onions caramelized. Everything was sweet and the flavors blended together.

With only a little urging Maura ate all of her portion as required and let on that she found the dish less objectionable than she usually finds eggplant. She didn’t whine at all for which I am grateful. If I get any more of the Brazilian eggplants from the CSA I’ll cook them the same way.

When Maura had cleaned her plate I kept my promise. I made her caramelized bananas. I cooked a sliced banana in butter and brown sugar with a healthy shake of cinnamon on top until everything was sticky and gooey. While I cooked I explained what I was doing so she could do it for herself sometime. When they were done I divided the bananas between two plates and sat down to enjoy dessert with my daughter.

I don’t generally believe in bribing Maura to do the things she should do, like eating her vegetables. Special rewards should be received for special actions not ordinary ones. Paying children for ordinary good behavior makes them into little mercenaries who expect larger and larger rewards for doing less and less. Still, I’m glad I made my daughter dessert. Sharing it with her was a small moment that made both of us happy. We’ll remember and look back on it in years to come.