Grilled Eggplant and Tomato Salad
Windset Farms
4 ounces aged Manchego cheese,
finely grated
2 tablespoons finely sliced
Italian parsley
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Cracked black pepper
2 cups canola oil
10 garlic cloves
Combine cheese with parsley, lemon zest and pepper to taste. Set aside and
keep at room temperature.
In a small saucepan, start simmering canola oil with garlic cloves over medium
heat. After 12-15 minutes, remove from the heat and let cool; the garlic should
be golden brown and translucent. Strain and keep the oil. Place the garlic cloves
in a small dish; refrigerate if not using right away.
½ cup sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon Keen’s mustard powder
3 Adagio baby eggplants
Kosher salt
4 Virtuoso beefsteak tomatoes
4 leaves Delicato butter lettuce
or romaine hearts, for serving
Crusty bread, for serving
Place garlic oil in a bowl, saving 2 tablespoons for brushing the eggplant.
Add vinegar and mustard powder to the bowl and whisk to combine. Set
aside. Preheat and clean the grill, barbecue or griddle.
Slice eggplant into disks approximately ½ inch thick. Brush with garlic oil
and season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat until
tender (about 3 minutes per side). Remove and let cool.
Slice tomatoes into disks. Layer with the eggplant. Pour on dressing to taste,
add garlic cloves and garnish with the cheese/parsley mixture. Serve with
lettuce and some crusty bread. Makes 2-4 servings.
Note: Extra dressing will keep, refrigerated, for a month.
Recipe developed by chef Ned Bell.
