I say ”recipe idea“ because I don’t have the actual recipe. My sister has made this before, and it makes a wonderful main event for a vegetarian meal, served with salad and bread, or it can make a fabulous first course. I think this is easy to make, so I am going to describe the meal and how I think it should be prepared, then I’m going to make it for dinner sometime this week — I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Pasta with Tomatoes, Garden Vegetables, and Crumbled Blue Cheese
Blue cheese brings extra panache to this popular team of summer garden vegetables.
Photograph © Sabra Krock, excerpted from
Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook
Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook
Ingredients
2 (7- to 8-inch) Chinese or Japanese eggplants, diagonally cut into 1-inch slices
Salt
12 ounces rotelle, penne, or other medium-size pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 green or red bell peppers, seeded and cut into ½-inch strips
1 large onion, quartered and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and slivered
10 plum or paste tomatoes or other firm tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and quartered
2 medium summer squash, diagonally cut into ½-inch slices
1 medium zucchini, diagonally cut into ½-inch slices
1½ teaspoons chopped summer savory
6 basil leaves, torn, plus 3 or 4 small sprigs for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
4–6 ounces Roquefort, Stilton, Danish blue, or other blue cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives or dill
Directions
- Layer the eggplant slices in a colander, sprinkling them with 2 tablespoons salt as you do. Leave the slices standing in the sink for 45 minutes, then rinse off the salt and pat dry.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of salt, and stir in the pasta. Boil the pasta for 8 minutes, or according to the package directions, until just al dente. Drain and keep warm.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the eggplant, peppers, onion, and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium, and sautรฉ the vegetables for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, summer squash, and zucchini. Add the summer savory and basil, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Sautรฉ for 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, stirring and raising the heat if necessary to cook the vegetables briskly. Stir in the vinegar, and cook for 1 minute longer.
- Serve the pasta on a large platter with the sautรฉed vegetables piled on top. Scatter the blue cheese over the vegetables. Garnish with the chives or dill.
SERVES 4
Grilled Eggplant with Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella
My sister, a vegetarian, has made this in summers past. Now that both tomatoes and eggplant are in season, I am expecting an invitation to this meal soon. Please note that this is a recipe from memory. See below for a link to a similar but actual recipe.
Ingredients
Eggplant, sliced about 1/4" thick
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Tomatoes, sliced 1/8"–1/4" thick
Pesto (optional)
Mozzarella, thin round slices
Shredded basil leaves
Fresh grated Parmesan (optional)
- Marinate eggplant in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste. Or you can use a balsamic vinaigrette for the marinade (homemade is best). Let sit in marinade 10 to 15 minutes.
- Preheat grill to medium-high. If using grill pan, spray pan lightly with cooking spray.
- Place eggplant slices on grill. Flip when the bottoms are lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Cooking time can vary from grill to grill, so check frequently, and don’t burn your eggplant!
- Top eggplant slices with tomato slices. Brush with pesto if using. Top tomato with mozzarella. Close grill lid, let cook for 5 minutes.
- Remove from grill to a serving platter. Sprinkle with shredded basil and Parmesan.
- Serve warm.
______________________________________________________Recipe for Grilled Eggplant & Tomato Stacks
Meatless Monday posts are my effort to pitch the idea of eating meatless one day or one meal a week — for health, for the well-being of animals, and for the environment. I encourage you to give it a try. I also suggest trying variations of these recipes with the produce you have on hand. Additionally, if you are not yet ready to go a full day meat-free, try using these veggie-packed recipes as the focus of your meal.
Our Meatless Monday Archives:
Braised Chard Pizza and Farmhouse Salad
Mini Frittatas and Shaved Zucchini Salad
Beet Soup, Roasted Plum Quesadillas, and Peach Kuchen
1 comment:
I absolutely LOVE that cookbook! So many great recipes... its one of my favorites!!
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