Garlic Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Appetizer Recipe

We are deep into tomato-and-eggplant love affair and this fine duo happens to bring out the best of both of these nightshades…

Summer has officially passed and we are well into Fall but the cooler weather is always behind schedule.  It’s still rather warm in our neck of the woods and that means tomatoes are still ripening and eggplants are still growing.  That also means, we can still enjoy these delicious nightshade appetizers.

Eggplants, also known as Aubergine, come in all shapes and sizes.  I frequently see Japanese Eggplants, Indian Baby Eggplants and the good ol’ regular eggplant at our Farmer’s Market.  For this recipe, I used the regular eggplant since I prefer to have these slightly bigger than bite size.  Not a fan of eggplant?  Zucchini is a great sub for in this dish, just be sure it doesn’t have large seeds that would make the center hollow during roasting.

You may choose to peel the skin since it creates a slightly bitter taste to the eggplant when cooked.  Another option to diminish the off-flavor is to sprinkle some sea salt on both sides of the cut eggplant slices and allow to sit for 20 minutes.  Rinse off the salt and pat dry.  Personally, the bitter taste never bothered me and because we are loading this with a TON of flavor, I can hardly taste the harshness.

Garlic Roasted Eggplants and Tomato Appetizers

Wash the eggplants and slice them into 1/4″ thickness.

In a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat, place 8-10 eggplant slices (or as many as will fit in a single layer) and roast them for 4-5 minutes or until brown on each side.

Flip the eggplant slices and continue to brown the other side for additional 2 minutes.  Using a metal spatula or fork, remove the roasted eggplant slices off the pan and lay them out on a cookie rack to cool.

Proceed with the remaining eggplant slices in same manner and continue working in batches.

Meanwhile, in a small container (I used 1 pint mason jar), combine 1 cup of mayonnaise (get recipe here), 2-3 minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of dried dill and parsley, and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese.  Set aside.  Slice tomatoes 1/4″ thick and grate the remaining parmesan cheese.

Assembling

Using an assembly line technique, take a cooled eggplant slice, add a dallop (1/2 – 1 teaspoon) of garlicky mayo mixture, slap a tomato slice, and top off with some parmesan.  Garnish with fresh parsley or dill.  Continue to assemble the remaining slices.

Storing & Keeping

These eggplant and tomato appetizers are great when served immediately but I have had them keep in the refrigerator for parties for hours in advance (made in the morning for a dinner party).  They do store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 2 days but I wouldn’t eat them past that time frame.  Also, you can roast the eggplant, slice the tomatoes and prep the mayo mixture the night before and keep them all in separate containers and assemble them just before or a few hours before serving.  I’ve done that before with great success.

Either way, I will make sure to make another batch of these babies before this nightshade duo departs our garden.

Garlic Roasted Eggplant and Tomato Appetizer Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Eggplant and tomato pair up to create an appetizer with a zing!

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Ingredients

• 2 eggplants , washed and sliced
• 4-5 medium tomatoes , washed and sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise [(find recipe here
• 1 cup finely grated parmesan cheese , divided
• 3-4 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 t . dried dill
• 1 t . dried parsley
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Wash the eggplants and tomatoes.
2. Optional step: Peel the eggplant to avoid a slightly bitter taste or sprinkle some sea salt on both sides of the cut slices and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse off the salt and pat dry. If skipping this step, just slice the eggplants into 1/4" thickness.
3. In a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat, place 8-10 eggplant slices (or as many as will fit in a single layer) and roast them for 4-5 minutes or until brown on each side.
4. Flip the eggplant slices and continue to brown the other side for additional 2 minutes.
5. Using a metal spatula or fork, remove the roasted eggplant slices off the pan and lay them out on a cookie rack to cool.
6. Proceed with the remaining eggplant slices in same manner and continue working in batches.
7. In a small container, combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon of dried dill and parsley, and 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese. Set aside.
8. Slice tomatoes 1/4" thick.
9. To assemble: using a conveyor approach, take a cooled eggplant slice, add a dallop (1/2 - 1 teaspoon) of garlicky mayo mixture, slap a tomato slice, and top off with some parmesan. Garnish with fresh parsley or dill. Continue to assemble the remaining slices.
10. These eggplant and tomato appetizers are best when served immediately but can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.

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This recipe was shared on: Savoring Saturdays |

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