We're coming up on eggplant season. Sure, they are pretty much available year-round, now, but we don't mean just when they grow. Summer is also when so many eggplant dishes taste so right. This member of the nightshade family, botanically actually a berry, might just be all things to all people. It has a real hearty meatiness to it that has made it a frequent meat substitute for vegetarians (supplementing with some protein, of course). But it is also a sponge for flavor, taking on sauces and vinaigrettes in a way that lets it stand out or meld nicely, depending on the dish. And it really takes to cooking on the grill, as it's super delicious with a char, and also gets a crisp exterior and soft, almost creamy interior when exposed to that intense heat. So go ahead and fire it up, because grilled eggplant season is always over far too soon.

How do you incorporate grilled eggplant into a salad? Much as you would any other vegetable. Here, its yielding smokiness contrasts so nicely with the zip of the homemade Italian dressing. It tastes amazing both right off the grill, but also cold, eaten from the fridge.

This recipe will be a real summer keeper, as the eggplant flesh becomes so saucy that it forms the base of an actual sauce for pasta. Cherry tomatoes, grilled alongside, ensure that the sauce is full of sweet and salty richness. We love this not only with the mezze rigatoni shown here, but also with even larger shapes, like paccheri, if you come across them and are wondering what to make with them.

You've had hot honey before, but this takes it to the next level. Sambal oelek, honey and soy sauce combine for a dressing you'll want to drizzle on steak, rice, chicken, you name it. Here, that mild and creamy Japanese eggplant soaks it all up.

When you're getting the grill going for the eggplant, you might as well also grill the bread, since that direct heat makes the most perfect toast. A slick of ricotta layers on a little dairy richness, but also behaves as a kind of glue for the toppings. Some honey roasted cherry tomatoes lend their umami to the eggplant, and fresh basil leaves brighten everything up.

There are no eggplant flowers in this dish; it gets its name from the "blooming" effect of a crosshatched eggplant spreading open in the cooking. That crosshatch also allows for lots of textural variety and deep crevices for absorbing sauces. This one gets some sumac, garlic and honey, along with fresh parsley and mint, feta and sesame seeds.

This might be the gateway recipe for kids who think they don't like eggplant. Not least of all because anything served on a stick is immediately more fun. And the eggplant itself has it all: a sweet, salty, and spicy sauce that goes sticky on the perfectly charred bites.

Labneh is a Middle Eastern "yogurt cheese," which really translates as an uber-strained yogurt, in the vein of a Greek yogurt or skyr. Here, it's the base for kind of a salad, kind of a dip, and it's very satisfying. Whether you eat it with a fork and knife or scoop it up onto grilled pita or bread, you'll be sure to want to keep eating it.

This smoky, creamy dip takes inspiration from baba ghanouj, the iconic Middle Eastern dip commonly served alongside hummus with pita. Some tahini in the mix gives it body and creaminess. Grilling the pita, too, brings a nice dimension.

You always have to cook eggplant before incorporating it into a parm, but the usual practice is to fry it. Here, the slices are grilled instead, which makes for a much lighter parm (the vegetable soaks up much less oil) with an added char flavor. A slice of this packed for lunch the next day is an incredible gift to your workday self.

Here, peeled, the grilled eggplant is an interesting foil to fresh mozzarella, their textures almost mimicking each other. Tossed with peppery arugula and a dressing tinged with honey, it makes for a side that would go so beautifully with grilled steaks, chops or chicken. This is the low-effort, high-reward cooking that we love all summer long.

Marinating your own feta feels like a pro move that's surprisingly easy and so sophisticated. Here, it also gives the grilled eggplant an outrageously delicious oil to soak up. The feta, too, lends creaminess and so much flavor from its marination.

Stacks of these sandwiches call to mind the ones available in Italian coffee bars, nestled cozily under a tea towel. Here, you've got the grilled eggplant working in tandem with hummus and feta, adding up to a meaty meal that is completely vegetarian. Some arugula and herbs bring so much freshness.

We love any chance to use Japanese eggplants — the long, slender yet petite ones you see at the market (if you're lucky!). Since they are so much smaller, the surface area means more of the delicious skin, which chars up to a crisp on the grill. But these are nice, too, because they tend to be nearly seedless and have a really silky interior. Here, tossed among farro with fresh herbs and a sherry vinaigrette, they become a salad, vegetable, and grain dish all in one.

These eggplants are just... cute. Smaller eggplants also tend to be more mild, with less bitterness — and these also get a savory preparation with a hint of sweet. They make for such an unexpected side dish.

So often eggplant is served to vegetarians as a meat substitute with little thought of the protein that's suddenly missing when you subtract the meat. This wrap becomes an absolute feast, from the delectable dressing (with Greek yogurt) coating the chickpea salad for a nice protein boost. Make a few and wrap them for lunches for the next few days; what a treat.

This sweet and sour relish hails from Sicily, where it is worked into many meals in many ways. This grilled version feels ideal for summer. We love it as suggested here, served with grilled bread and fresh mozzarella, but you'll also want to try it as a spread on a meat or mozzarella sandwich or even tossed with some pasta and ricotta for an easy dinner.

Even if you think you don't know hoisin, you probably know hoisin. It's that thick, sweet and savory sauce used in Chinese dishes like Peking duck and mu shu pancakes. And just like those, it makes grilled eggplant irresistible, with crisp charred edges and meaty richness.

Katie Lee brings a complete meal from the grill, a Mediterranean-inspired combination of chicken, eggplant and flatbread. The eggplant is rubbed with sumac, a uniquely lemony-smoky spice, and the chicken is seasoned with more sumac and lemon as well. A savory yogurt, seasoned with tahini, parsley, lemon and garlic ties everything together.

We love the simplest kinds of recipes that almost aren't even recipes, and this is one of them. It takes advantage of how beautifully salty cheeses complement charred eggplant, as well as how nice tomato, fresh basil and a simple dressing finishes it off. This is what to serve when you don't feel like cooking and just want to grill, and then assemble.

We love mint with eggplant, its freshness always mitigating any bitterness (not that you'll find any in Japanese eggplant). We love how garlic, too, enhances the eggplant, and how these hold their shape and are naturally pre-portioned. They make a great side but also topping for grilled bread.