This summery salad of roasted eggplant with tomatoes and candy crimson pepper is a flexible dish that could be served as a starter, as a aspect dish, as a part of a mezze unfold or because the star of a vegetarian meal. It’s just like its French cousin, ratatouille, however in truth hails from additional east. Crushed coriander seeds lend an unique taste, whereas cayenne provides chunk. Get pleasure from it chilled with a bottle of crisp rosé as we head into the most well liked time of the 12 months.
Salade aubergine-tomate-poivron / Roasted eggplant salad
I found this dish in April whereas visiting my good friend Penny in England. A superb prepare dinner, she shares with me a background within the former Soviet Union and picked up many scrumptious recipes there. This salad, which is served throughout Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and different former Soviet republics, is understood in Russian as baklazhannaya ikra and in Ukrainian as baklazanu ikra, each of which translate as ‘eggplant caviar’. But it surely bears little resemblance to the eggplant caviar served in France and the Center East.
This isn’t solely as a result of it consists of different veggies along with the eggplant, but additionally as a result of the veggies aren’t puréed or mashed collectively however stay recognizable, with their pretty colours making a sexy dish. I served it twice just lately, first alongside smoked fish and darkish rye bread, in honor of a Polish dinner visitor, after which beside roast rooster, which was essentially the most affordable factor I may consider to serve to a good friend who came visiting to observe the French election outcomes — roast rooster being the last word French consolation meals.
For a vegetarian or vegan summer time meal, the roasted eggplant salad may very well be served with natural tomato salad, Moroccan carrot salad, chickpea salad with cumin and dill, tangy fava unfold, beet salad with walnuts, summer time salad with recent figs, and the checklist goes on. For those who’d prefer to serve one thing heat alongside, I’d suggest bulghur with crimson onion and mint, spicy lentils with onions, provençal tomatoes or — why not? — potato pancakes.
As for drinks, this salad goes nicely with rosé or crimson wine — and likewise, given its origins, with chilled vodka. We could also be needing a whole lot of that over right here with the far-right Nationwide Rally poised to dominate within the French parliament after the second spherical of legislative elections this Sunday. Lower than a month in the past, it was inconceivable to me that my adopted nation may discover itself ruled by the heirs of the Vichy leaders who oversaw the large deportation of Jews from France throughout World Battle II. However then President Macron pounced along with his insane resolution to dissolve the Nationwide Meeting.
To calm my nerves, I plan to spend so much of time over the approaching weeks being inventive within the kitchen — as making lovely meals just isn’t solely my artwork kind, but additionally my zen.
Blissful cooking.
