Chilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad

On sweltering summer days when I was young, my mother frequently prepared a chilled salad of steamed eggplants. I still remember the texture and flavor of those eggplants. Japanese eggplants are less seedy and less watery than their larger, oval counterparts that are so common in U.S. markets. Cooking transforms the flesh of Japanese eggplants into a creamy, sweet treat that is especially good with my mother’s spiced sweet and sour dressing. Since steaming dulls the pretty purple color of e