Eggplant

Start the seed indoors in August, somewhere warm. Eggplant needs a longer run than a Melton summer gives it if you sow straight into the ground.

Plant out in November, once the frosts have finished and the soil has warmed.

Space them 60cm apart and stake each one at planting. A loaded branch will pull itself to the ground.

Feed with compost through summer and keep the water steady. Uneven watering makes bitter fruit.

Pick when the skin is tight and shiny. A dull skin means the fruit is over-ripe and full of hard seed.

Cut the fruit off with secateurs. The stems are woody and will not snap cleanly.

Keep picking. Regular harvesting brings on new fruit right through the warm months.

The long thin varieties are ready earlier than the big round ones.

Char the whole fruit over a flame until the skin blackens, then scrape out the smoky flesh.

Or cut thick slices and roast them.

Salt the slices and leave them twenty minutes before frying. They soak up far less oil that way.

Slow-cook with tomato, garlic and spices for a soft, rich side dish.

Let one fruit grow well past eating size until the skin dulls and turns yellow-brown.

Scoop the flesh into a bowl of water and rub the seeds free with your fingers.

The good seed sinks. Pour off the pulp and the floaters.

Dry the seed on paper for a week. Save only from open-pollinated plants if you want the same fruit next year.