Grilled Eggplant Salad with Nalo Farms Greens & Goat Cheese Crostini
From the 2002 KLO dinner — Hawaiian Luau
Grilled Eggplant Salad with Nalo Farms Greens & Goat Cheese Crostini
Ingredients in boldface have separate recipes, which follow the main recipe.
- Balsamic Vinaigrette
- Eggplant Salad:
- 1 large eggplant
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp minced fresh basil
- Assembly:
- 1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce, warmed
- 4 to 5 cups washed and torn mixed greens, such as mizuna, arugula, & radicchio
- 10 yellow pear tomatoes, halved
Make Goat Cheese Crostini, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and Basic Tomato Sauce.
Eggplant Salad: Cut four crosswise slices of eggplant, each about 1/4″ thick. Place the olive oil on a large serving platter and sprinkle the garlic and herbs over. Dip the eggplant in the oil mixture, turning to make sure the slices are evenly coated with oil, garlic and herbs. Sear on a very hot griddle or grill, about 3 minutes per side.
Assembly: To serve, ladle 1/4 cup warmed Basic Tomato Sauce in a neat circle on each serving plate. Top with a slice of eggplant. In a mixing bowl toss the greens and vinaigrette and place on top of the eggplant. Arrange 5 crostini around each salad, with a pear tomato piece between each crostini.
Greg placed the salad in the corner of the square plates we used, instead of topping the eggplant. Yellow pear tomatoes were not available, so he used wedges of larger yellow tomatoes. The final effect was probably nicer than the original recipe’s.
If we were to do this over, we’d flatten the crostini a bit more, making it easier to eat. However, even if a bit hard to stick in your mouth, the crostini received rave reviews!
Goat Cheese Crostini
- 1/2 recipe Basic Pizza Dough, or thin slices French baguette bread, toasted
- 1/4 cup Basic Tomato Sauce
- 5 Tbsp fresh goat cheese
- 2 tsp Pesto
Preheat over to 400 F. Divide the pizza dough into 20 pieces. Roll each piece in a ball about 1″ in diameter and gently press into a football shape. Place on a pizza pan or baking sheet and bake for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool.
Spread about 1/2 tsp Tomato Sauce over each crostini, and top with a bit of goat cheese and a dab of Pesto. Just before assembling the salad, place the crostini under the broiler to melt the cheese.
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 2-1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp oil oil
- 1 Tbsp finely minced fresh basil
- 1/4 tsp minced shallot
- 1/4 tsp minced garlic
Whisk together all ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Basic Tomato Sauce
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 small carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped
- 28 oz can Italian-style Roma tomatoes in their juice, preferably with basil
- salt & ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the garlic, onion, carrot, and celery over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 1 minute. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, crush with our hands, and add to the saucepan. Add the salt, pepper, and sugar, and cook the sauce over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until reduced by about 1/3. Add the basil leaves and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If you prefer a smoother consistency, pulse the sauce in a food process or blender for about 10 seconds.
Pesto
- 4 oz fresh basil, julienned
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp pine nuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 oz grated Parmesan cheese
- salt & ground black pepper
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
Basic Pizza Dough
- 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1/2 pkg)
- 3/4 cup lukewarm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 to 2-1/2 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Sprinkle the yeast over the water in a bowl. Add the honey and whisk. Let set for 5 minutes.
Lightly oil the bowl of an electric mixer and fix the mixer with the dough hook. Put 2 cups flour and the salt in the bowl; turn the mixer on a very low speed. With the mixer running, slowly pour in the water and yeast mixture. Continue beating until the dough is well mixed. Increase the mixer speed slightly and beat in the olive oil. Beat at medium-high speed ofr 4 to 5 minutes, until the dough looks smooth and satiny and gathers into a ball. Add more flour if necessary.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in bulk. Place on a lightly floured work surface and divide into 4 portions. Knead each portion for 1 to 2 minutes and form into balls. Place on a backing sheet, and cover again with a amp towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for another 15 minutes.
Roll each ball of dough out into a 6″ to 7″ circle, about 1/8″ thick, sprinkling the dough, the work surface, and the rolling pin with extra flour to keep them from becoming sticky. Using your fingers, pinch the dough to create a raised edge all the way around the pizza. Now you are ready to add toppings.