Spanish Roasted Garlic Eggplant

This dish started way back in late April / early May when Dan and I took a straw bale gardening class from fellow Master Gardener Cris Phillips. It was an experiment (on my part) in growing in a no-soil environment that has turned out very well. There is no comparison to the eggplant in my raised bed, which is small with no fruit and at the moment, mocking me. 

There are so many benefits to straw bales; you can grow almost anywhere (even in your driveway), hardly any weeds, extended growing season, and much easier to maintain. Will I give up my raised beds, no but I will expand next year and move the warm-weather vegetables to the bales - the harvest is so much better. 

Fast forward to last week when I harvested our first eggplant. It was perfect - the color was dark purple, the size just right for the dish, and it was ripe. I combined it with tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and basil (all from the garden) to make this delicious dish, which we willingly ate for 2 nights.

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant
• 2 tomatoes
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
• grated Parmesan  cheese
• sea salt & black pepper
• handful of freshly chopped basil

Instructions:

1. Cut 1 large eggplant into 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick rounds, season each round generously with sea salt on both sides, add the slices of eggplant into a colander and let them sit for 30 minutes
   
2. Meanwhile, roughly chop 5 cloves of garlic and add into a mortar, season with a little sea salt and using a pestle pound down until you form a paste-like texture, then add in 2 tbsp (8 grams) finely chopped parsley and pour in a generous 2 tbsp (35 ml) extra virgin olive oil, mix together until well combined
   
3. Thinly slice 2 tomatoes and set aside
   
4. After 30 minutes, rinse the slices of eggplant under cold water, then pat each one dry with a dishcloth to remove any excess water & salt, add the slices of eggplant into a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure they are all in a single layer
   
5. Lightly season the slices of eggplant with a little sea salt & black pepper, add the garlic sauce over the slices of eggplant, add 1 slice of tomato over each slice of eggplant, and finely grate some manchego cheese over the tomatoes
   
6. Add the baking tray into a preheated oven, bake + broil (bottom + top heat) 210 C - 410 F
   
7. After 15 minutes remove from the oven
   
8. Transfer into a serving dish and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives, serve at once, enjoy!