I grow a few eggplants every year to appease my wife; she detests eating tomatoes unless cooked beyond recognition. :wink:
Her favorite dish is eggplant parmesan served with ziti, so that's the only way I prepare it here.
I've only grown "Black Beauty" so I'm excited to hear about other varieties other Tomatovillians have grown.
I have noticed that eggplants are great aphid magnets in my growing area; they seem to congregate in great number on the leaves' undersides.
Althea, you and others here might find this link interesting and enlightening. It details the Solanaceae family in great depth.
http://www.hvanbalken.com/plant.html