Eggplant Surprise – Garden & Gun

Ingredients

• ½ lb. Italian eggplant, sliced ¼-inch thick and then cut into half-moons
• ½ cup grapeseed oil, for frying (more if needed)
• 1 bunch sage, picked
• Fall squash salsa (recipe follows)
• 1 or 2 large ripe fall tomatoes, thinly sliced into quarter-moons
• Very good olive oil
• Chopped parsley or other herbs, for garnish
• 1 cup buttermilk (vegans can substitute coconut milk)
• 2 tbsp. Southern-made hot sauce
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1½ cups medium-grind Anson Mills cornmeal
• ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. Guntur Sannam chile powder or cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp. turmeric
• 1 small heirloom pumpkin or a butternut squash
• 10 cloves garlic, divided
• 3 tbsp. grapeseed oil
• ¼ cup ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 ají limon chiles or 1 small habanero chile, halved