Spice-Rubbed Pork Loin with Ratatouille

Eggplant comes in a range of shapes and sizes, from barely bigger than an egg-and the same ivory color-to the familiar large purple globe variety. Baby eggplant looks like its larger kin but is smaller, generally 3 to 5 inches long. It is thinner skinned than large eggplant and is less likely to be bitter. Other alternatives for this dish include slender dark purple Asian eggplant or the slender pale lavender variety known as Chinese eggplant.