Grilled Eggplant with Roasted Tomatoes, Pine Nuts and Mint

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 8 tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• ½ bunch of fresh thyme
• ½ bunch fresh marjoram
• 100ml olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggplants of medium size
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted
• A handful of mint leaves

Dressing

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 140˚C. Cut the tomatoes in half around the equator and place cut side up onto a shallow baking tray. Place the slices of garlic on top of the tomatoes. Shred the leaves from the stems of the herbs and scatter them over the tomatoes. Liberally splash the tomatoes with the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes and transfer the tomatoes to a suitable plate. Reserve any juices in the tray for the dressing.

Trim and slice the eggplant no thicker than 1cm. Place a frying pan over a high heat and mix the garlic into the olive oil. Brush the slices of eggplant with the oil and carefully place into the frying pan. Season with salt and pepper and cook until well browned on both sides. Transfer the cooked slices of eggplant to a serving bowl and add the tomatoes, gently folding the two together. Sprinkle the salad with the pine nuts and roughly shredded the mint leaves. Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together with any leftover juices and a few turns of the pepper mill and drizzle over the salad.