Normally this dish would be made with roasted eggplant, raw garlic and raw diced tomatoes over the top..and maybe some herbs like dill or parsely. I like to roast the tomatoes though because they create this incredible juice mixed with the olive oil whilst roasting… which then I use to drizzle all over the eggplants. It’s just such a good combination. I am now making this dish every Sunday.. as I come home from the organic markets I like to prep a few things. I clean out the fridge and throw any old veggies into a soup, and then I roast up the eggplants and tomatoes that I pick up that day. Half of it gets eaten straight away but the rest I store in a container and use throughout the week. It’s beautiful….here are some ways that I like to use it to add to to dishes….
- Fresh bread with basil pesto and topped with this eggplant mix
- Buckwheat pasta with rocket lightly warmed up with a few spoonfuls of this dish
- As a side dish to any roasted poultry
- On sourdough toast with fresh goats cheese or mozzarella ..a few spoonfuls of this eggplant mix works beautifully with the crunch of some sourdough
- A fresh grain salad like a pearl barley mushroom salad
This is a dish inspired by a traditional eggplant tomato dish that is common in Belarus and surrounding countries..there was a large Jewish community based in Belarus a hundred years ago and they really left a big mark on the food culture in the country.
Recipe for Roasted Eggplant and Tomatoes
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 2-4 (You can serve this dish as a side or use it to then add to main dishes like paste etc – so the serving size is varied)
Ingredients
2 x medium eggplants (ends cut off and sliced into thin circles ..not too thin and not too thick)
1-2 x cups of mixed tomatoes (I recommend sweet truss tomatoes or sweet cherry tomatoes, or just anything local and seasonal) I like to adjust the quantity of tomatoes depending on if I want more tomatoes or less on the day!
handful of roughly chopped mixed herbs (dill, parsley and spring onion) just as much or as little as you like – and play around with what herbs are your favourite! Tarragon and mint could also be lovely here
2 x cloves of garlic (finely sliced)
1 x cup olive oil for roasting eggplant and extra for the tomatoes
salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Line 1 or 2 roasting trays with baking paper and spread out the eggplant evenly so that they are all in one layer. Season with salt, and cover with lots of
olive oil (be generous) then place in the oven and bake for around 30-40 minutes or until the eggplant is soft and cooked through.
2. Meanwhile prepare the tomatoes by simply putting them in a small roasting tray and cover with plenty of olive oil and salt. Place the tray with the tomatoes on the bottom of the oven and cook until the tomatoes are juicy (approximately 30 minutes) and you can see the juices coming out in the tray mixed with the olive oil.
3. When ready everything is cooked, arrange the eggplant slices on the base of the dish, top with 3/4 of the tomatoes and use a spoon to press them down and squeeze them so their juices come out. For the rest of the cooked tomatoes just press them down with a spoon or fork and mix with all the roasted tomato juices…this will make a nice little sauce! Drizzle it all over.
4. Finish off with plenty of the herbs over the top and slices of raw garlic
Enjoy!!