• It’s Like a Heatwave!

    by Holly • June 7, 2010 • Cheese, Jamaica Plain, vegetarian • 1 Comment

    I really wanted to try a new baked eggplant recipe that I found in a cookbook, Dishing Up Maine, but with Boston’s recent heatwave there was no way I was turning on any part of my stove to fuel the fire of my 85 degree apartment.  Instead I made some changes to the recipe to make it grilling appropriate and headed to the back porch in search of some cool breeze.

    Grilled Eggplant Stacks w/ Random Herb Pesto
    Cheese and herb options are really up to the cook, I shared what I used in italics but left the ingredients quite vague in the recipe.

    1 large eggplant sliced in 1/2 inch rounds
    2-3 tomatoes, thickly sliced (make sure you have the same amount of eggplant and tomato slices)
    sliced melting cheese (Brie)
    olive oil, salt and pepper
    Random Herb Pesto: grind up fresh herbs, toasted nuts, chopped garlic and olive oil in a food processor and season with salt and pepper.  Adding a hodge podge of herbs is a good technique to use when your basil is getting low. (basil, chives, parsley, walnuts)

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    Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant with salt and let rest in a strainer or drying rack for 15 minutes.  Dab moisture away with paper towels.  Brush both sides with oil and place on a preheated grill and put the cover down.  After a few minutes check for grill marks and flip.  Spread the pesto on the gilled side and add the tomatoes to the grill.

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    Once the tomato slices are quickly grilled on both sides add them to the eggplant and cover with a piece of melting cheese.  Turn the grill on low and shut the cover until the cheese is fully melted.

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    These eggplant stacks go great with some grilled bread and a garden salad.  If your kitchen isn’t a bazillion degrees then I would also suggest making some couscous as a side.

    About Holly

    The Story of Holly

    Told by Miz Emily

    Holly first introduced me to the concept of "caw-ing" almost 3 years ago. My life has never been the same. By day this crow works the office life but by night you will certainly find Holly (Party Pants) Stevens in her Jamaica Plain kitchen cooking and dancing the night away in true crow fashion. Proudly hailing from Maine's Old Orchard Beach, this wild one has figured out how to combine her love for New England- its history, its food, & its boozy dance parties- with her love of classic elegance. Holly's food is fresh, locally produced, healthy, and full of flavor. A self-described salt hound, no taste bud goes untouched by a meal at Holly's nest. By combining simple salads with rich pastas, fish, and soups, no visitor will leave unsatisfied. Moreover, no hangover goes uncured when morning walks with Holly are kicked off with a hidden stash of irish coffee, and finished off by a nice warm plate of oven potatoes and frittata.

    Glancing around her kitchen you will find a few staple items including a mini whisk (for perfect salad dressing), the classiest compost bucket I've ever seen, a kick-ass vegetable hutch, and most importantly a tasty beverage ready to meet your hand. Her home is cozy and warm, and her hospitality is outmatched by no one. On the bookshelves you will find recipes given to her by friends, and books like Omnivore's Dilemma and Salt: A World History, the later being one of the best book suggestion I've ever received, and the subject of her college thesis. Never missing the chance to make a dinner party a dance party, Holly is in constant motion, ready to motivate the group with classy tunes like Credence, Al Green, and GirlTalk. Unless, of course, Top Chef is on.

    http://crowsinthekitchen.com

    One Response to It’s Like a Heatwave!

    1. emily
      June 7, 2010 at 10:24 pm

      zooomggg gooooey cheese looks so good

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