A while ago I made this recipe for a dinner party but didn’t get the chance to photograph or post about it. Originally from a recipe seen on smittenkitchen, it’s been one of my staples ever since.

The main idea is to make a bruschetta-type recipe but with a big round of eggplant instead of bread. Throw in a bit of mint and an interesting balsamic and you’re in business. Last night we made dinner on the grill so I seized the opportunity to make this with extra-crispy eggplant (grilled rather than baked in the oven) and it turned out rather well…

Eggplant Bruschetta, adapted from smittenkitchen.

You’ll need:

1-2 eggplants (1 serves 3 people as a side), sliced thickly (about 1/2 inch thick rounds)
1 tomato, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Several leaves of mint, chopped
Several ounces of ricotta salata cheese
5-6 Kalamata olives, chopped
Salt and pepper
A tablespoon each of red wine vinegar, your favorite balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice
Olive oil

Coat your eggplants with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, and grill them, about 5 minutes per side (you can also bake them in an oven at around 425 degrees).

In the meantime, soak your onions in the lemon juice and vinegars for 30-60 minutes.

Crumble the cheese and chop the mint and mix in with the tomatoes, olives, olive oil, and some salt & pepper.

Just before serving, mix the onions and the tomato mixture thoroughly then top each round with a spoonful of the mixture.