Saturday, October 20, 2012

Caprese-Salad-Inspired Eggplant Rounds


I found this baby eggplant when I was cleaning out my garden over the weekend.  It was just the right size for some Caprese-Salad-Inspired Eggplant rounds - I simply used a slice of roasted eggplant on the bottom, then added slices of tomato and mozzarella cheese, topped with fresh basil and drizzled with my favorite Chef Tim's Sweet Balsamic Vinaigrette.  Or, you can layer ingredients on a platter and turn it into the Eggplant, Tomato and Mozzarella Salad as directed in the recipe below.  (The frost last weekend ended my fresh basil for the season, but thankfully I had smipped a few stems and stuck them in a vase of water to hold me over as I finish up some of my fresh produce.)

Source:  Everyday Food magazine, July/August 2009

6 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/4"-thick slices
Coarse sea salt and ground pepper
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 lb. sliced tomatoes
1/4 c. loosely packed fresh basil leaves, torn
2 T. balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Brush two rimmed baking sheets with 1 T. extra-virgin olive oil each.  Arrange eggplant slices on sheets.  Brush tops with 2 T. oil and season with salt and pepper.  Roast until eggplant is golden and tender, about 20 minutes.  Let cool to room temperature.

On a serving platter, layer eggplant and sliced mozzarella and tomatoes.  Top with basil leaves and drizzle with remaining 2 T. oil and balsamic vinegar.

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