If blanched or par boiled for 5 mins then rinsed, drained & salted, and fried in a combination of butter & olive oil, then added to a mousakka or casserole type recipe they're edible and it gets rid of the sponginess, basically they add bulk to a meal and as we get them free from the allotment, we use them, if I had to buy them, I think I'd prefer meat or potatoes as bulk. But it does make you feel slightly healthier or even cosmopolitan!, despite the frying you've cooked aubergine & courgette, arn't you a cultured cook! go for it, even telling people you use them in a dish will impress some.