Grilled Eggplant Crostini

As summer winds down there are still plenty of eggplant and peppers to be found at the farmers’ market. Our recent heat wave makes this an ideal snack while sitting on the deck with a cool glass of wine. When it is really hot it is fun to serve chilled red wine with these tasty toasts!

Ingredients: makes approximately 20 croutons
1 globe eggplant, approximately one pound
1 red bell pepper, cut in half lengthwise, seeded
1-2 cloves of garlic
4-6 anchovy fillets (Talliata, Recca and Ortiz are good brands)
1-2 scallions, fine dice (about ¼ C.)
1 T. fresh parsley chopped
1-2 T. fresh basil chopped
2 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 T. to brush on eggplant
1 tsp. red wine vinegar or lemon juice to taste
Bread for croutons (I prefer a rustic loaf, but use your favorite)

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Preparation
Prepare the eggplant for grilling by cutting lengthwise into slices about ½ inch thick. Salt slices generously with kosher salt and allow to drain in a colander for about 20 minutes. Pat the eggplant dry with a paper towel. Drizzle 1 T. olive oil amongst all the eggplant.

Grill over a charcoal fire (though you can certainly use a gas grill too!) Alternatively, you can place the eggplant slices on a sheet pan in a 450-degree oven for about 20 minutes (on the lowest shelf, close to the heat.) Take your time to ensure the eggplant brown well and are cooked thoroughly. Also place pepper on the grill and let the skin side blacken to make it easier to peel. As it begins to cook and soften, press down on it with a spatula to flatten the pepper (which enables more even color on the skin and easier peeling.) When cool, chop until the eggplant has the consistency of a coarse paste and place in a small mixing bowl. Dice half the pepper, and add it to the bowl as well.

Pound the garlic and anchovy in a mortar and pestle, if available, or chop to a fine paste. Add to the eggplant mix. Cut the bottom 3 inches from the scallions and cut in half lengthwise. Then cut into small slivers crosswise. Add to mixing bowl. Add chopped parsley and basil to the mixture. Add two tablespoon of the best extra virgin olive oil you have and the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir and season to taste.

Cut bread into thin slices. Brush with oil and toast in a 400-degree oven until brown and firm. For garlic lovers, you may rub each piece of toast with a raw clove of garlic as it comes out of the oven.

To serve: Place about 1 teaspoon of the eggplant mixture on a crouton. Cut the remaining half of the red pepper into strips to garnish as shown above. Anchovy lovers feel free to indulge in an extra fillet on each crouton as well! Sprinkle entire plate with some chiffonade (thin strips) of basil or flat leaf parsley.