Maria initially mistook the fruits for animal or bird eggs, but she discovered they were eggplants upon closer inspection. Sofia pleaded with her mother to bring some of the weird, white fruits home so she could prepare them.

Since Maria had never cooked with white eggplants before and wasn’t sure what to do with them, she was initially hesitant. Maria chose to try it because Sofia insisted on it. She picked a handful of the eggplants off the tree and took them home.

Maria got to work in the kitchen as soon as they arrived home. To prepare the eggplants perfectly, she looked up recipes online. She finally made eggplant parmesan, a traditional Italian dish she had always enjoyed.

The eggplants were thinly sliced, deep-fried until golden brown, then covered with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese and cooked in the oven until hot and bubbling. She and Sofia sat down to devour their creation after it was finished.

The eggplant parmesan was incredibly wonderful, much to Maria’s surprise. The acidic tomato sauce and gooey cheese went nicely with the tender, sweet, and delicately flavored eggplants.

Maria made it a point to revisit the farm every summer after that to check on the white eggplant tree. It was producing its peculiar and delicious fruit every summer. They had developed a family favorite recipe called eggplant parmesan, so she would pick a few of the eggplants off the tree and bring them inside.

The discovery of the white eggplant tree opened up a whole new world of culinary opportunities for Maria and Sofia. Maria was also reminded by it of the fact that sometimes the most marvelous things can be discovered in the most unlikely locations.