Grilled Eggplant with Tomatoes and Herbs

Our Asian Eggplants are the best for this recipe. Try and snag a variety of tomatoes - cherry, roma and heirloom along with any herbs you can get your hands on. I also added arugula to this and it was devine. Another favorite from Joshua McFadden’s book.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb eggplants, small asian are best

• Extra-virgin olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar

• 1lb tomatoes, variety of colors and sizes, cored and cut into chunks if large

• 1 bunch scallions trim only the top 1/2” and use all the greens, slice on sharp angle and soak in ice water for 20 minutes then drain well

• 1 cup torn croutons - homemade are best

• A couple of handfuls of herbs: basil, mints, parsley, cilantro, chives - you name it! I added chopped arugula and asian greens to mine and it was delicious.

Trim ends off eggplants, halve them lengthwise and sprinkler with a generous does of salt. Set them on a rack or big colander and leave for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours (if longer than 2 hours put them in the fridge). Heat grill to medium-high.

Blot moisture and excess salt from eggplants. Grill un-oiled until they are lightly charred on the outside and tender on the inside, about 10 minutes total. You can also bake them in an oven - heat to 450. Add a baking sheet to the oven for 15 minutes to get it really hot. Toss the eggplants in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and place them cut side down on the hot pan and throw it back in the oven. Careful - the pan will be hot. Roast until both sides are nicely browned and the eggplants are tender - 18 minutes.

When the eggplants are cooked pile them into a large bowl. Add the vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and lots of twists of pepper and toss to distribute all the seasons. Add the tomatoes, scallions, croutons and the herbs and toss gently. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and toss. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Let the dish sit for a few minutes so the tomato juices soak into the croutons and serve at room temperature.