Eggplant stuffed with Fruit and Nut Rice serves 4-8

2 cups calrose or other medium grain rice
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons tumeric
1/2 teapsoon salt plus some for salting the eggplant

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons mustard powder
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons tarragon
2 teaspoons powdered ginger or 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
2 good sized Italian eggplants (the usual kind found in US Supermarkets)
1 zucchini, cut into 1" dice
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" dice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup pistachio meats, chopped coarsley
2 more tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water

drizzles of olive oil additional

First, the basic yellow rice - in saucepan, combine butter, rice, tumeric, 3
to 3-1/2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a
simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes or so until the rice is fluffy and
yellow. Set aside.

Next prep the vegetables. Cut the leafy top off your eggplant with one
crosscut. Split the eggplant legthwise, and with a knife or grapefruit spoon,
carefully hollow out the halves until there is 1/4" -1/2" of flesh clinging
to the skin of the eggplant. Retain the cut out portion, seeds and all. Now
salt the inside of the eggplant flesh lightly and set, cut side down, on a
paper towel.

Dice the zucchini and pepper if you have not done so already, then dice the
eggplant into approximately 1/2" chunks.

In a saucepan, over high heat heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add all the
spices except the sumac after the oil is hot. Stir for about 45 seconds. Add
the vegetables (bell pepper, eggplant, and zucchini). Toss and stir until the
vegetables are evenly coated with oil and spices. Taste, and add more of any
spices you'd like to taste more of. Adjust salt and pepper.

Add the rice to the pan along with 1/4 cup of water. Stir and combine the
rice and vegetables well. Once the water has cooked off, add in the nuts and
fruits and stir well. Remove from heat. You may add th esumac in now and stir
or hold it out as a garnish spice later.

Preheat an oven to 350 F.

Brush olive oil on the insides of the eggplant shells. Pepper liberally.
Using a spatula or serving spoon, dish the rice mix into the eggplant half.

Put the eggplant halves on a cookie sheet. Drizzle lightly with olive oil,
and bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes until the uncut eggplant flesh is soft
and tasty. Remove using a tongs and spatula (spatula underneath, tongs around
the sides) to a serving plate. You may serve a half an eggplant per very
hungry person or a half of a half (a quarter) to a more normally hungry
person.