EGGing YOU ON

With our nice harvest of eggplant I have enjoyed trying some new recipes. Our most recent experiment was a tasty, easy one and just involved one medium sized eggplant for a Grilled Eggplant Arugla Pesto Sandwich.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 medium sized eggplant
• 2 c fresh arugula
• 1 c fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
• ¼ c pine nuts
• 1-1½ c good extra-virgin olive oil + more if needed
• 1 c freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
• olive cooking spray
• 1 ripe tomato cut into 8 slices
• 8 slices of mozzarella
• bread/ french bread slices 

Peel eggplant leaving some peel for color.
Slice eggplant crosswise 1/2 in thick.

Place slices on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Let sit to extract moisture. 

Rinse off salt and pat dry. 

Meanwhile prepare PESTO:

-Combine basil, garlic, pine nuts, vinegar and most of arugula in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped.

-With processor running, slowly pour in  olive oil (about a cup) and process until pureed.

-Add Parmigiano-Reggiano and pulse for another minute. 

-Season to taste with salt & pepper either into food processor/later.

Grill/ Set oven at  broil/bake at 400 degrees

Spray both sides of eggplant slices with oil

Place in oven on broiler pan.

Grill/Broil both sides 5 minutes each/until browned.

Toast bread.

Make sandwich brushing pesto on each ingredient:

bread, eggplant slice, cheese slice, tomato and  arugula and top with second bread slice unless you prefer opened face.

What else can I say besides this was a big hit here in the End of the Rainbow Valley.