Yes, my summer is stacked! With work, with travels, with visitors, with fun, and of course with beautiful garden-fresh vegetables! This dish is a garden inspiration! I hope you try this next time you have eggplant and pesto on hand.
Grilled Pesto-Infused Eggplant and Tomato Stacks
Ingredients: 1 Eggplant, slice into thick rounds 2-3 beefsteak or roma tomatoes, sliced thick Sea salt Basil leaves Parmesan cheese, grated Directions: Layer paper towels on a plate. Place a generous amount of sea salt on the towels and stack the eggplant rounds in a single layer. Add more salt to the top. Layer with paper towels and stack a plate on top and something to weigh down on the eggplant rounds (like a teapot filled with water). Allow to set for 20-30 minutes. (Note: this extracts the bitterness from the eggplant) Rinse the eggplant well and pat dry. Turn on grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil or brush with olive oil. Grill each round ~3-5 minutes on each side or until desired texture is achieved. Prepare pesto. Pesto Ingredients: 1 cup basil leaves 2 Tbsp pine nuts 1 clove of garlic 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 lemon, zested and juiced sea salt to taste Directions: Blend in a food processor and set aside. Stack eggplant, 1 tsp pesto, tomato, basil leaves, and repeat. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve!
