- 2 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
- Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 1 cup Colavita aged balsamic vinegar (sweet vinegar of Modena)
- Spray olive oil, for grill
- 1 baguette, halved lengthwise
- 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil paste
Directions:
Sprinkle eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons salt, place in a colander, and let stand 30 minutes. Wipe off salt and moisture with paper towels.
Cut 2 tablespoons of fresh basil paste into the feta cheese and set aside.
Mix olive oil, thyme, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil mixture. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved oil mixture, and let cool.
Preheat grill to medium; brush grill with vegetable oil. Brush eggplant slices generously with some remaining oil mixture. Grill eggplant, covered, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes per side.
Increase grill temperature to high. Brush baguette with remaining oil mixture, and grill until toasted, about 3 minutes. Cut baguette into pieces in various sizes.
Place eggplant, baguette, and feta on a large platter. Drizzle eggplant and feta with some vinegar mixture. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture and feta cheese.
Myrtle's Note: The original recipe calls for setting aside only one tablespoon of olive oil, but I found that insufficient to properly brush the egg plant. I ended up mixing together the ingredients for additional olive oil. Also, instead of garnishing with basil leaves, I cut fresh basil paste into the feta and let it sit for a while. Finally, I believe the serving size was realistically half of what the recipe stated, unless used as a small serving appetizer. I served this for lunch for some visitors. The remaining vinegar mixture is good for salad.
Yield: 4 servings
Source: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/grilled-eggplant-balsamic-feta-baguette-mslo0510-recipe
Myrtle's Note: The original recipe calls for setting aside only one tablespoon of olive oil, but I found that insufficient to properly brush the egg plant. I ended up mixing together the ingredients for additional olive oil. Also, instead of garnishing with basil leaves, I cut fresh basil paste into the feta and let it sit for a while. Finally, I believe the serving size was realistically half of what the recipe stated, unless used as a small serving appetizer. I served this for lunch for some visitors. The remaining vinegar mixture is good for salad.
Yield: 4 servings
Source: http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/grilled-eggplant-balsamic-feta-baguette-mslo0510-recipe
