Ratatouille Salad With Japanese Eggplant

A twist on the French classic, this versatile ratatouille salad can be served hot or cold. If you have any leftovers or want to use this salad in a new way, try sauteing it for a few minutes in a bit of the vinegar-oil mixture and serve over a dollop of ricotta cheese with a fried egg and crusty bread.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 large Japanese eggplants
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cups diced Sweet Sturdy Grace Tomato or other tomato
½ cup chopped bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Black pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Instructions

Preheat grill to medium.
Slice eggplant in half, lengthwise. Brush both sides of the eggplant with balsamic vinegar, then with olive oil. Set remaining vinegar and oil aside.
Place eggplant cut side down on the grill (4 to 6 inches above medium coals if using charcoal). Cook, turning once, 4-5 minutes on each side.
While the eggplant is cooking, combine tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and salt in a large bowl with the reserved vinegar and oil. Set aside.
Remove the eggplant from the grill and cool for a few minutes. Slice each half into bite-sized pieces, then add to the tomato mixture. Mix in the basil and add additional salt (if needed) and black pepper to taste. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Serve alone, over warm polenta, or atop fresh lettuce.

Ratatouille Salad with Japanese Eggplant Recipe — Ratatouille Salad with Japanese Eggplant!

Featured Ingredient: Japanese Eggplant

Eggplant's versatility in the kitchen makes it an excellent ingredient on which to build many delicious dishes. Japanese eggplant is long and slender, with a thin skin that's easily edible when cooked. With a mild flavor, it's excellent grilled with spices, roasted with other summer vegetables, or added to hummus (a great calorie-cutting trick). Pureed eggplant can also be added to sauces, creating a delectable creaminess without adding dairy. It's mild enough to serve a supporting role in a dish, but unique enough to stand on its own. You won't regret adding this gem to your garden! Here's what you need to know about growing eggplant.

Shikou is a eye-catcher. — With its deep purple fruit, Shikou is a definite eye-catcher.

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If you like the aromatic flavor of salsa served in Mexican restaurants, you'll like cilantro. The leaves have an instantly recognizable fragrance that fills a room when you cut them. Sometimes called Chinese parsley, its distinctive aroma and flavor is also part of Caribbean and Asian foods, lending flavor to recaito, salsas, curries, salads, chutneys, herbed butters, and meat marinades.Cilantro looks like flat leaf Italian parsley, but the leaves are thinner. It grows in a rosette of stemmy leaves that are ready to harvest shortly after planting. Young leaves have the best flavor, so be sure to harvest often. It is a fast-growing annual except in milder climates where it will overwinter. Cilantro grows tall and blooms at the end of its life, usually after the weather gets hot. After it blooms, harvest the seeds--they are what you buy in spice jars as coriander, another common ingredient in Asian cooking. You can grind the seeds or use them whole. Some gardeners also let the seeds drop to make new plants.Fall is a great time to grow cilantro in mild climates, as the plants are frost tolerant and love the cool weather in fall, winter, and early spring.Organic varieties are only available at retailers.