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Make the most of the spectacular aubergine.

A friend who lives in an inner-city apartment has been telling me about his allotment, only 10 minutes’ walk from his home, where he grows heirloom vegetables, redcurrants, horseradish, sorrel and dahlias. In the past he has grown fennel, tomatoes and most of the culinary herbs known to man. After finishing work at my City Market, itself a celebration of all things local, I decided to take a look for myself.

The Tanera Park Community Garden has been run by the Mokai Kainga Maori Centre since 1990. Sprays are banned, all fertilisers must be organic and garden waste is turned into compost. The garden is maintained by those on community service and the 62 plots sit hidden like a secret jewel within the city.

The late afternoon sun sets on the houses like it does on a Greek isle. There is an air of calm in the gardens, which have stunning views across to Mt Victoria, and wandering between the 3m x 3m plots is like traversing a moveable feast, providing a connection to others and the land. Occasionally, people steal things, but they tend to leave gifts of other plants as a form of koha.

Nearly every plot has crops of beans and tomatoes; some have lettuces going to seed and pumpkins starting to come through. On others, small figs are ripening and strawberries peek from under a canopy of borage flowers. A truss supports a tangle of near-flawless purple-black aubergines, and reminds me I haven’t made the most of them this season.

I’m not ready to say goodbye to summer just yet, and so with the latest run of warm weather I’ve taken out the barbecue again. Cook aubergine until the flesh is meltingly soft, otherwise it can be like eating sodden sponge. I served this dish with grilled lamb chops.

Grilled aubergine in Coconut and Lime Sauce

2 aubergines

a small handful of coriander leaves

Remove the aubergines’ stalks, then slice the flesh into 2cm-thick slices. Peel the hard outer layer from the lemongrass, then slice the bottom of the stalk finely, stopping when it feels woody and the knife meets stern resistance. Seed the chilli and peel the garlic and ginger. Place them in a food processor with the lemongrass. Process until smooth, then add the coconut cream and fish sauce. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the coriander, then process for 30 seconds to make a smooth paste.

Place the aubergine slices in a shallow container and pour the coconut mixture over the top. Toss everything together to make sure the slices are well-coated, then set aside for at least an hour. Heat the grill or a ridged pan. Grill the slices until a crust forms – about 15 minutes. Turn the slices over, then grill briefly on the other side – 2-3 minutes – until they soften. Serve warm.

Serves 4.

While in Marlborough recently I was introduced to Pignoli pine nuts. These fresh kernels have an almost silken texture and a flavour that complements the autumnal warmth of an aubergine. Serve this as a side dish for roast lamb or pork, or just by itself. Without the yoghurt, it’s a good partner to toss through pasta.

Baked aubergine with Capsicums, Pine Nuts, Raisins and Mint

2 red capsicums

2 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Quarter, core and seed the capsicums. Brush with a little olive oil, season with salt and arrange the quarters on a flat baking tray. Bake in the oven until tender – about 20 minutes. Remove the stalks from the aubergines and slice into 1cm-thick rounds. Heat a frying pan over a moderate heat. Brush the aubergine slices with the oil, then cook in batches until golden and tender – about 15 minutes. Season each batch with salt, pepper and chopped rosemary leaves. Return the slices to the pan and add the capsicum pieces. Sprinkle on the pine nuts and raisins and cook until the nuts are lightly coloured.

Meanwhile, tear the mint leaves. Stir half into the yoghurt and tip into a small bowl. Stir the remainder through the aubergine mixture. Tip onto a large plate and serve with the yoghurt on the side.

Serves 4.

I’m not sure which is the true star in this dish, the aubergine or the pork, for they both seem to form the sauce for each other. A wok is essential, as you need to get the oil hot enough to turn the aubergine golden brown. Otherwise it may stew and turn into a pale sludge.

Edamame beans are to Japanese cuisine what a bag of wasabi peas is to Australian cuisine. The young green soya beans are frequently served in sushi restaurants and bars as the perfect snack to accompany ice-cold beer. They are usually sold frozen in Asian food stores, and when popped and podded provide a certain delight. Serve in lettuce cups or over a bowl of steamed rice.

Stir-Fried Pork with aubergine and Edamame

1 aubergine

1 cos lettuce

Cut the aubergine into 2cm dice, discarding the stalk. Heat the oil in a wok until almost smoking, then fry the aubergine until golden brown. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent paper. Carefully pour the oil from the wok into a stainless-steel bowl to cool. Wipe the wok clean, add 3 tablespoons of oil back into it and place the wok over the heat. Add the pork and cook until it begins to brown. Finely slice half the spring onions, and peel and finely chop the ginger. Finely chop the garlic and add all three to the wok. Cook until fragrant – about 5 minutes – stirring constantly. Add the sherry, soy sauce, sugar and stock. Return the aubergine and edamame beans to the wok and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken slightly.

Wash the lettuce, separate the leaves from the stem and arrange in a serving bowl. Break a few leaves off and place on a platter. Slice the remaining spring onions into long strips. Spoon some of the aubergine and pork onto the lettuce, and scatter the spring onion over the top. Tip the remaining aubergine into a serving bowl. Serve immediately with the extra lettuce leaves.

Serves 4.