Рецепт Stacked Eggplant Salad
Spring arrived today in a big way with azure skies, crystal clear air, and sun that warmed my soul and infected me with a severe case of spring fever. My Weber grill, covered for the winter, seemed to speak to me this morning and suggest that I free it from its bondage and let it enjoy the day as well. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I’m an avid griller and when the weather permits I’m cooking outside every chance I get.
I answered my grill’s request and pulled out the recipe for this salad that I’ve had on my to-do list for months. Most vegetables are fair game for the grill and a wide variety of grilled veggies make a regular rotation on our table throughout the grilling season. This particular combination of vegetables may be my most favorite. Adding the contrasting flavors of the fresh herb vinaigrette, the creamy and tart goat cheese dressing, and the sweet balsamic syrup makes this salad so much more than the sum of its parts. It truly becomes something spectacular.
Cooking Notes:
1. When making the balsamic syrup, make sure and watch the reduction carefully the last few minutes of cooking. If you let it go too long it becomes a sticky mess that you won’t be able to use. Take it off the heat as soon as it starts thickening and looks like the consistency of syrup.
2. Eggplant tends toward a slightly bitter taste so make sure and follow the first step in the instructions for the vegetables. Salt brings out the liquid in the eggplant and helps mitigate the bitterness. The step works well if you place the salted eggplant slices on a cooling rack and let the moisture drip onto a baking sheet.
3. When drizzling the goat cheese dressing over the plate, use a cheap squeeze bottle to create a design. A medicine dropper is a great tool for placing the dots of balsamic syrup on the plate.
Stacked Eggplant Salad (Slightly modified from Cuisine Magazine)
Ingredients
- For the goat cheese dressing:
- 5 ounces of goat cheese
- 1/3 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- For the balsamic syrup:
- 1 cup balsamic vinegar
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- For the stacks:
- 2 large eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch rounds
- 2 large zucchini, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
- 2 large yellow squash, cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
- 3 portobello caps
- 1 large red bell pepper
- 1 large yellow bell pepper
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh basil leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
For the goat cheese dressing:
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
For the balsamic syrup:
Bring vinegar to a boil in a small sauce pan over high heat. When reduced by half, reduce heat to simmer. When vinegar is thickening and reduced to about a quarter of the original amount, remove from heat and cool. Carefully watch for the last few minutes as syrup can very quickly become too thick.
For the vinaigrette:
Add all ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
For the stack:
1. Spread eggplant on a large cooling rack over a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt on both sides. Let sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and dry with paper towel.
2. Spread vegetables on the baking sheet and drizzle with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper.
3. Grill vegetables over high heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from grill and cool
4. Slice mushrooms in to 1/4 inch slices. Place an eggplant round on each salad plate. Top with vegetables and drizzle with vinaigrette. Stack another layer of eggplant and vegetables and drizzle with vinaigrette. Top with eggplant. Drizzle plates with goat cheese dressing and dot with balsamic syrup. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.
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http://www.southernboydishes.com/2014/03/11/stacked-eggplant-salad/