Thick slices of in-season aubergine softened in the oven at a high temperature then topped with ripe tomatoes cooked with garlic, a little chili and a slice of mozzarella or grated parmesan.
Lunch?
Yes!
To brighten a cloudy day…
Summer simplicity–using vegetables bang in season and begging to be used.
Me, sir! Me! Me, sir! Just like at school; eager hands in the air, knowing the answer.
This is a Nigel Slater idea from his book Tender.
I am using:
- 2 aubergines/eggplants–sliced thickly
- Olive oil (for brushing the sliced aubergines)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lb/450 grams tomatoes–ripe as can be–roughly chopped
- 1 tbs olive
- 1 garlic clove–peeled and chopped
- a small dry chili–chopped (no need to take out the seeds)
- small handful of basil leaves (optional)
- A medium ball of mozzarella–sliced thick
- 2 tbs grated parmesan
Oven: 220C/430F (hot!)
Oil an oven tray large enough to take the aubergine slices.
Brush the aubergines with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper–generously!
Put the tray in the top of the oven and cook for about 25 minutes (check at 20 minutes, but the aubergines profit from a little singeing–and they must be soft).
While the aubergines are cooking, heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan and add the tomatoes, garlic, chili and basil (if you have it).
Cook for 20 minutes or until you have a nice mess of tomatoes.
Remove the aubergine slices from the oven and spread some of the tomato sauce on each with a teaspoon.
Top each slice with the grated parmesan or a slice of mozzarella.
Put the tray back in the oven for about ten minutes–long enough for the cheese to melt.
Oh my!
We had small salad with these–using cherry tomatoes from the garden, cucumber, sliced onion and small pieces of feta. (It was intended to be a Greek salad but I forgot the black olives!)
A three CHEESE feast!
An interested guest looked on.
More of her later…
Robin Ellis 
Does that eggplant ever look good-got to try itjust that way!
Gorgeous!
Looks delicious. My husband, Jim, used to make this dish. It’s has a pizza-y quality.
Little did my paternal grandparents know that the simple salad they made was Greek. My Fathers parents born in the mid 1890’s were very poor farmer/laborers in the Gila Valley of Arizona and New Mexico. They made what is known to all of their decendants as “Hubbard Salad”. Tomatoes, cucumbers and onions all from their large wonderful garden.
They were hard working and resourceful because all they had was what they grew or raised. One very difficult winter the only thing that kept them from starving was a pig given to them by a loving neighbor.
Thanks it looks delicious.
Martha Cluff
Oh boy this looks good. Must get some aubergines ….great photos and description as always. I so love the way your recipes make me feel I could do them too, and more importantly, really want to!
This cheered me up after my dear Dalmatian, Dottie, escaped and went on a big adventure. She returned two hours later with her paws completely skinned from running for miles on the lanes around here. It is just awful to see her suffering now in spite of pain killers and bandaged paws. She hobbles about as if on red hot coals.
Thank you Robin.
I have always had a problem with brushing aubergine with oil as it just soaks it up and you end up using way more than you should. Spray oil seems to be more effective. Finished dish looks very yummy.
Yes I will definitely try this sans my usualegg and breading…😏 more healthy!!!
yummmm!
Mmmm. This looks delicious Robin. Thank you for sharing. Will go shopping tomorrow and give this a go 😋
Hi Robin, did you enjoy the series “The Jewel in the Crown”? Just watching it at the moment and think it was wonderful. Kind regards Linda
Adorable puss. Family member yet?
Very nice, indeed. Thank you, Robin. I will certainly keep this recipe to use it myself. From start to finish, it looks every part a winner.
Ooh, that’s one of my favorites!! Can we invite ourselves for lunch tomorrow?
Hey, Meredith–just what you needed! A little calico for your tribe! 🙂 She’s cute!! Looks like she could use a little lovin’!
I prepared this tonight for my husband and I and he told me that this was to be repeated. It was easy to prepare and tasted wonderful.
Your beautiful kitten…. I had a tortoiseshell cat back in the early 70’s (she must have watched Poldark on a sunday evening!). Called her Lady,she had quite a snooty air about her.
Robin you tease you show us a photo for a cute little kitty then say more later.
Arrr well back to the egg plant this does look very tempting, to be honest I have never tried them, but fortune favours the brave time to give them a go, I have always thought of them as tricky things to deal with, but with you as coachmaster, I will try my best.
Hmmmm tests buds ready and willing.
Good on you, Elaine! They must be cooked through, nice and soft–uncooked aubs are uneatable.
Delish. Aubergines and kit both!
Basil should NEVER be optional, in my opinion! Received a copy of one of your cookbooks in the mail today, Robin. Lovely recipes! You are as fond of garlic as I am!
Thanks, Jacki–I am–Garlic Festival next friday. Free soup for 10,000.
.Well the ‘chef-ette” in our house will be making this one shortly. Like the previous poster she also usually breads the eggplant with tomatoes and sprinkles some parmigiano reggiano so this will be different treat. Have to say the blog is really great for eat in’ healthy! Thanks.
Thanks, Rich and regards to the “chef-ette”.
Dear Robin, I am also intrigued by how well you play the ‘other’ side of things as Reverend Halse. I’m sure you found it to be a great role! You certainly play it convincingly! So glad you were able to take part in this new series. I like the new performers, but I must admit to a loyalty to your interpretation of Ross. As I said, you make a very mean old upper-class magistrate also!
Thanks, Jacki–playing nasty is nice!
This was my dinner tonight–oh my! So good. I’ve sworn off pizza and this was close enough to satisfy that craving, except it was better. Everything turned out really well. It was my first time making tomato sauce and a bit of a revelation. I used a package of organic cherry tomatoes along with the other ingredients. Awesome! Was quite filling, so I saved one of the slices for tomorrow. Thanks Robin, will definitely be making again!
So glad it turned out well, Jenifer. Good point about pizza substitute.
I am learning to enjoy some vegetables through your site. It is nice to make different flavors like this. Eggplant was one I could never figure out how to cook and enjoy.
I’ve made some other vegetable recipes from your cookbook. You might be able to do what my Mother couldn’t…..”like vegetables!” I can always remember my Mother pushing a bowl of brussel sprouts to me and I would push the bowl back to her end of the table. I still can’t find a way to like these vegetables, yet. LOL
I love the picture of the little calico – she reminds me of my calico “Dixie.”
There are some delicious sprout recipes in the books, Cecilia. Good to hear you are liking veg–at last!!
Look forward to a post about your sweet looking guest. She seems right at home and looks very comfortable on that chair.
Have an eggplant that needs to be used – very timely recipe – thanks!
Really delicious eggplant!
Hi Robin,
That looks scrummy.
I have a Sardinian friend Toni, who makes an amazingly simple dish with white aubergine, garlic and olive oil. All he does is griddle the aubergine ( which is sprinkled with olive oil ) until it is really soft and then layers it with crushed garlic and more olive oil.
It is eaten warm with crusty bread and a simple salad of tomatoes ,onions, olives and crumbly cheese. It is one of the best meals I’ve ever eaten. He walks about in Sardinia, picking up handfulls of all kinds of weird and wonderful things like wild asparagus (which I couldn’t even see was there) and makes a meal for virtually nothing! It’s great when you know what you’re looking for ! xx
Sounds delicious, Heather–similar to a recipe in Delicious Dishes for Diabetics–just the addition of walnuts.
Hi Robin, Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I love Eggplant. It’s one of my favorite foods. Can you recommend a good wine to go with this? Thank you! Lisa
I always drink red, Lisa.
Had this recipe as an accompaniment to dinner last night. Neil and I enjoyed this recipe very much. It is a challenge for me to find recipes for eggplant. This will now be listed as a favorite.
And just to check in on this fine dish….Have to say the ‘chef-ette’ and I had one of the simplest yet finest eggplant meals ever. Tasty! And what a meal washed down with some vino. And based on the eggplant recipe we went on to pick up your most recent cookbook. If the eggplant we just had is any indication well we’ll be looking forward to sure eating ‘healthy’ and certainly enjoying it. Thanks ahead from both of us for all the great meals to come…;-)…
Thanks, Rich–hope you find plenty more to savor with the “chef-ette”!
Robin–Hello from near Buffalo, New York. I stumbled onto your blog via Facebook, quite by accident this summer while Googling something about Poldark, and this was the first recipe I saw. Due to some major wrist surgery in late June, I was out of commission in the kitchen for most of the summer. Last weekend was the first time I did any cooking since then, and this eggplant is what I prepared. Oh, yum! And yum again. I’m fixing it again tomorrow evening.
Happy to hear this, Cynthia and welcome!