Recipe below, but please read on..

We recently received a nomination for the One Lovely Blog award from our friend Erin at Erin’s DC Kitchen. We are big fans of Erin’s take on simple, tasty food and the overall positive spirit of her blog. Check out her site, it will be a pleasant visit. Thanks Erin!

So now we must pass the award along to one lovely blogger and tell you seven things about ourselves (not sure there is much left, but we will try..;-). As for the nomination, we nominate Cooking in Sens, a blog about cooking and life in Burgundy. If we cook and take photos half as good, we would be thrilled. We love the blog and have made a few of the recipes with great success. Please check them out.

So here are seven more things about us:

1. We do read cookbooks for fun. And our kids are starting as well. Now we need to put them to work.
2. As noted before, we have less success with zucchini than we should. Somewhat embarrassing.
3. We buy too much kitchen gear, but are getting better…a little. Sort of. Maybe.
4. Sometimes we cook simple food because we don’t want extra dishes.
5. Once we got to 40, wine started giving us the occasional headache. Cocktails and beer took over at the farm.
6. Sometimes there are so many gophers we (I) feel like Bill Murray in Caddyshack (and want to “solve” the problem with similar measures).
7. We can’t wait for tomatoes and fresh corn…like it really bothers us it’s not here yet.

Now back to cooking. The Grilled Eggplant with Salsa Verde recipe is a simple one, but worth sharing simply because it answers the question of what to do with eggplant. Such a beautiful vegetable (technically a berry, btw), but often many cooks just put it in Eggplant Parmesan or Baba Ghanoush. Both great dishes, but we like quick preparations and grilling the eggplant does the trick. As for extra flavor, salsa verde packs a big punch from the herbs and oil. It is great on many dishes and we use it often on fish, like this dish. But it is great on almost any grilled vegetable.

Assembling and cooking this dish is as simple as it gets.  Most of the work with salsa verde is in chopping the herbs and then adding the oil and other ingredients. For the eggplant, simply slice it lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices and brush with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook on a medium grill until browned on the outside and soft in the center. The temperature here is key, if the fire is too hot the outside will burn before the center is soft. Lower the heat a bit and take your time. A grill pan indoors will also work, again use medium heat and take your time. You will still need less than 10 minutes. And then you can enjoy one lovely dish.

Grilled Eggplant With Salsa Verde:

Notes Before You Start:

• The recipe will work with any large european or asian eggplant. Simply adjust cooking time for the size of the eggplant.
• Unlike some eggplant dishes, you to not need to pre-salt the eggplant.

What You Get: Tasty, easy (and pretty) eggplant,

What You Need: No special equipment required.

How Long: About 30 minutes. 10-15 minutes to make the salsa verde and 10-15 minutres to cook the eggplant. A little extra time if using a charcoal grill.

Ingredients:

(serves 4-6 as a side)

Eggplant:

• 2 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise, in 1/4 inch slices
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Salsa verde:

(makes about 1 and 1/2 cup)

• 1/2 cup italian parsley, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon basil, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon mint, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon marjoram, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme, finely chopped (optional- we like thyme)
• 3/4 cup good-quality olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pinch of red pepper flake
• 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon anchovy filets, rinsed and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional- we like the citrus)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Assemble:

Salsa Verde:

1. Place the herbs in a medium bowl and then add the olive oil. Stir to combine.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, caper and anchovies (if using). Stir to combine.
3. Finally, add the mustard, vinegar and lemon juice (if using). Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Eggplant:

1. Prepare and clean your grill and bring to medium heat. Oil your grates.
2. Slice the eggplant and brush each side with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
3. Place the eggplant on the grill and cook until browned on both sides and sift on the center, 8-10 minutes.
4. When cooked, remove the eggplant from the grill and serve warm with a generous helping of salsa verde.

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