OVERLOOKED FAVORITES

Some mental associations run deep, and the combination of eggplant and white beans always screamed Italian to Virtue chef de cuisine Damarr Brown — until he reexamined it, per the restaurant's mission, in the context of Southern American foodways. “With eggplant being commonly used not only in the South but also in Africa, it led me to add a couple of African ingredients: harissa and peanuts.” With its low burn and fresh crunch, the resulting dish gave Brown’s cucina connection the boot. While he makes his harissa from scratch, a store-bought version will do the trick here; he recommends Mina brand.

EGGPLANT WITH WHITE BEANS, HARISSA, AND PEANUT

DAMARR BROWN,