I was in Sicily recently, where the chief occupation seemed to be battling against the constant temptation to eat.

There was pasta with firm, sweet garlic; freshly baked breads transformed into bruschette; pizzas, breadcrumbs and crostini;tomatoes, fresh, baked, fried or stewed in plenty of the local olive oil; umpteen uses for the locally grown capers; and the wonderful aubergine.

Oh my goodness, the aubergine. In Sicily it is everywhere — in pasta dishes, on pizzas, as antipasti and even on pudding menus (after all, it is a fruit). I have loved aubergine since I first tried it in my mother’s moussaka, which she would cook to use up leftover lamb.

As I became increasingly bewitched by Middle Eastern cookery, thanks to Claudia Roden’s food writing, aubergine again took the front seat in dishes such as imam bayildi, a delicious mix of spices, raisins, aubergine, lots of extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs; the incredibly easy baba ganoush, a purée of charred aubergine, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic; and countless dishes involving spices, tomatoes, onions or peppers.

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• Lemon verbena jellies

Classic recipes

• The ultimate Caesar salad

• Thanos moussaka

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• Classic quiche Lorraine

• Jamie Oliver's NYC cheesecake

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• Penne with roast aubergine, feta, mint and chilli

I love aubergine chargrilled and dressed in garlicky, red wine vinegar dressings or herby yoghurt dressings with grilled courgettes and mozzarella.

In Greece it is baked and tossed in garlic and herbs and served with feta cheese; in India, aubergines go into the tastiest vegetable curries, which are spiked with raisins, cardamom seed and cashew nuts and served on rice, with chutneys and yoghurt to spoon over. I even like aubergines sweet, coated in a light batter, fried and drizzled in a local honey for breakfast, a dish the Arabs introduced to the Mediterranean.

Whichever way you like to cook them, I recommend tucking in now after a few months of vibrant sunshine, when they taste their best. Aubergines have such an ability to absorb flavour that they can happily replace meat, a cheap and delicious ingredient with which to feed family and friends. If you feel extravagant, invest in a good extra virgin olive oil for dressing them.

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