Oven Roasted Tomatoes & Herbs & Spanish Eggplant Salad & Caponata Pasta
Tuesday, August 8th, 2006Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup of oregano, thyme, chives or basil chopped
- lotsa chopped garlic
- olive oil
- tomatoes cut in half (see note below)
Instructions
Mix chopped herbs and garlic with enough olive oil to create a pesto like consistency.
Spread the herb-oil mixture on the bottom of a jelly roll pan or baking dish.
Set tomatoes cut side down on top of the herb mixture on pan.
Roast at 375 for around 30 min, or until tomato skins are crispy.
Let pan cool for a few minutes, then pick off the tomato skins.
Pour sauce over pasta, spread on bruchetta, puree as a base for tomato soup or freeze for later use.
Notes on tomato types: Romas are the best to use for this recipe since they are meaty and have thick skins that are easier to remove after baking, but it will work with other kinds of tomatoes too.
Serves 4-6 people as a side dish.
Recipe courtesy of Laura Masterson, 47th Avenue Farm
Spanish Eggplant Salad
Ingredients
- olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped mint
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried red chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3-4 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 medium to large eggplant (about 1 1/2 lbs)
Instructions
Thickly slice regular eggplant or cut Japanese eggplant in half lengthwise. Spread on an oiled baking sheet and brush with some olive oil.
Bake in a preheated oven at 400 until soft, about 20 minutes. Let eggplant cool, then cut into cubes.
Place in salad bowl.
Whisk some olive oil with the chopped ingredients.
Add vinegar to taste and pour over the eggplant. Toss to coat evenly. Let stand for at least 30 minutes before serving.
You can make a day ahead and marinate in the fridge overnight.
Serves 4-6 people as a side dish.
Recipe courtesy of Laura Masterson, 47th Avenue Farm
Caponata Pasta
Ingredients
- 6 to 8 roma tomatoes (we use the red and yellow varieties)
- 2 young walla walla onions
- 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
- 1/4 cup olives (kalamatas)
- 1/4 cup capers
- 1 tbsp chilis
- 2 tbsp garlic
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 lb. cooked pasta (we use fresh bucatini but you can use any tube pasta)
6 Japanese or 2 large eggplants
Instructions to make the Caponata:
Chop eggplant into cubes. Place on sheet tray and drizzle with tbsp olive oil and salt.
Slice romas and onions in half lengthwise.
Place onions and romas (onions cut face down, romas cut face up) on sheet tray and drizzle with olive oil and salt also.
Put into oven at 375-400 degrees and roast til color develops (30 to 45 minutes).
Remove from oven and slide into bowl still warm. Add the rest of the ingredients along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix but try to not break up tomatoes too much.
Let sit while pasta is cooking and when the pasta is done add to the caponata with a tbsp of butter.
Toss and serve with pecorino cheese.
Serves 2-4 people
Recipe courtesy of Wesley Berger, Gino’s Restaurant
