Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes with Salsa Verde

-LW

This dish is modeled after one of our favorite appetizers at Mani, in Ann Arbor. This is really a great dish because the roasted eggplant has a velvety texture that absorbs the garlic herbiness of the salsa verde (Italian, not Mexican)! The tomatoes add acidity, and the hint of honey rounds it out with a little sweetness. A perfect example of how to make vegetables into something exciting.

I made a meal out of it by serving it with crusty whole-grain bread and a dollop of ricotta cheese over which I drizzled more salsa verde.

Some alternatives to try: Mani serves theirs with pinenuts, which I would use if I had around but wouldn't necessarily buy specifically for the dish. Walnuts were what I had, and they were delicious. Instead of serving it with ricotta, you could also try crumbling something like feta or ricotta salata over the top. I don't think it really needs it, but it could be fun to try. The herbs in the salsa verde could also be swapped out for basil or oregano, but I think the mint and the parsley really make this dish, especially as the mint pairs so well with the tomatoes and honey. I might try upping the proportion of mint to parsley next time since I just didn't have a lot of mint in the house. With the small eggplants I had, this recipe only made two meal-sized servings, so if I were making it for more people, I would cook more eggplant. The salsa verde makes extra, so I wouldn't change that part of the recipe.

In sum, though, this recipe is absolutely delicious as is!

Ingredients
3 graffiti eggplants (these are smaller than regular eggplants; Asian eggplants would probably also work well)

1 carton cherry tomatoes

1 garlic clove

2 c. parsley, approx.

1/2 c. mint, approx.

Olive oil (I didn't measure, but maybe about 1/3-1/2 c.)

1/2 t. honey, approx.

1/4 c. walnuts, toasted (pinenuts would be good too)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat oven to 425. Slice eggplant into rounds 1/2 in. thick. Grease the bottom of a baking sheet with some olive oil. Toss tomatoes in the oil and move to one side of the pan. Lay the eggplant slices down flat in a single layer. If there is not enough room, you can move the tomatoes to a separate pan. Sprinkle vegetables with a little salt. Bake for 10-15 min. Flip eggplant slices and bake for another 10 min. until eggplant is soft and velvety. The tomatoes should have burst their skins by this point.

While vegetables are cooking, make salsa verde: Chop up garlic in food processor. Add parsley and mint and process. While food processor is running, slowly add enough olive oil to achieve a pesto-like consistency. Dump salsa into a bowl and season with salt and pepper, adding extra olive oil for consistency if necessary. (There should be small pools of oil at the top when the salsa has been sitting for a while.)

When vegetables are done, transfer to a bowl and toss with about 1/3 c. salsa verde and a small drizzle of honey. Add more salsa verde or honey to taste.

Sprinkle walnuts on individual servings and serve with crusty bread and a dollop of ricotta if desired.