It's not without reason that aubergines are still regarded as the poor man's meat in the Middle East. They make an excellent vegetarian main course or light lunch, as they are so rich in nutrients. Prepare this in advance and simply pop in the oven just before you are ready to serve.
Serves 4
- 2 large aubergines
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 red pepper
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- small handful fresh basil leaves, shredded
- 225g (8oz) cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 x 100g (4oz) individual goat’s cheeses (rind on), thinly sliced
- Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lightly dressed green salad, to serve
1 Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6. Cut the aubergines in half and trim off the stalks. Brush the cut sides with a little of the oil and season to taste, then place in a baking tin with the red pepper and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the flesh of the aubergine is tender and the skin of the red pepper is blackened and blistered.
2 Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of the oil in a frying pan and sauté the shallot for 2-3 minutes until softened but not coloured. Set aside.
3 Remove the vegetables from the oven and once the red pepper is cool, peel away the skin and finely chop the flesh, discarding the seeds. Place in a bowl. Scoop out the flesh from the aubergine to within 1cm (1/2in) of the skin and finely chop. Add to the red pepper with the sautéed shallot and basil and season generously.
4 Pile the red pepper mixture back into the aubergine shells and arrange the cherry tomatoes and slices of goat’s cheese on top. Drizzle over the remaining oil and return to the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cherry tomatoes are lightly charred and the goat’s cheese is bubbling. Arrange on plates with the lightly dressed salad to serve.
Grilled Asparagus with Red Peppers, Parmesan and Balsamic Reduction
Of course this is best eaten during asparagus season, which runs for approximately eight weeks in May and June. This is when asparagus has a full, sweet flavour and fine, tender texture. Otherwise baby leeks make a good winter alternative.
Serves 6
- 2 bunches asparagus
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 fresh basil leaves, torn
- 3 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 3 large red peppers
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 300ml (1/2 pint) balsamic vinegar
- 75g (3oz) Parmesan shavings
- 50g (2oz) toasted pine nuts
- 25g (1oz) wild rocket
- Maldon sea salt and freshy ground black pepper
1 To prepare the asparagus spears, trim about 5cm (2 in) of the woody ends from each spear. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the asparagus tips for 2 minutes, then drain and quickly refresh in a bowl of iced cold water. Drain again and dry thoroughly, then place in non-metallic dish.
2 Add two tablespoons of the olive oil with the basil, thyme and parsley to the asparagus spears, turning to coat them evenly. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinade for 1 hour or overnight in fridge is fine.
3 Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), Gas mark 6. Place red peppers in a roasting tin with the garlic and drizzle over the remaining olive oil. Roast for 30-40 minutes until skins are well charred and the peppers are completely tender.
4 Remove the roasted peppers from oven and carefully place the peppers in polythene bag. Tie securely and leave to cool completely. The steam will help remove the skin easily. Once the peppers are cool, remove from the bag and cut each pepper in half, then discard the cores and seeds and set aside until needed. Peel the garlic cloves and then mash the flesh to a paste, stir into the marinating asparagus mixture.
5 To make balsamic reduction, place balsamic vinegar in a heavy-based pan and bring to boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until you have achieved a syrup-like consistency, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool and then transfer to a plastic squeezy bottle. This will keep happily in the fridge for up to three months.
6 When ready to serve, heat a griddle pan until very hot. Add the roasted peppers to the asparagus mixture, tossing to coat in the marinade, then carefully arrange asparagus and peppers on the griddle pan and cook for 3 minutes, turning once until lightly charred and heated through. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your griddle pan.
7 To serve, arrange one half of pepper and four asparagus spears on each warmed plate. Scatter over the toasted pine nuts and drizzle around some of the balsamic syrup. Garnish with the Parmesan shavings and wild rocket.