This week has been so beautiful in the Northwest.
Along with my daughter being a vegetarian it has been so perfect firing up the grill every evening.
A blank canvas, fresh local ingredients & being able to walk out to my produce garden and see what can be added to enhance our meals.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Eggplant
1-2 Tomatoes (depending on size)
3 fresh raw garlic cloves
1-2 T of Extra Virgin Olive oil a little more for brushing the eggplant
Crumbled Feta about 1/3 cup
2 handfuls of fresh basil
Sea Salt for eggplant and a dash in the basil slaw

Fire up the grill on high with cover closed so it can get very hot
10-15 minutes or longer

METHOD:
Wash and cut Eggplant into rounds about 1/2 inch thick (see photo above)
Lay out on cutting board and sprinkle top with sea salt and set aside for about 20-30 minutes
What will happen is this will pull out the bitterness. This will look like water.
You can take a paper-towel and place over them and remove the liquid after the 20-30 minutes of resting with the sea salt
Next prepare your Basil Slaw
Dice the fresh raw garlic cloves
cut the basil into more of a shredding style -keep a little aside for garnish
in a bowl mix with the olive oil
let sit
Cut tomatoes into rounds to top the eggplant
Sprinkle a dusting of sea salt over the tomatoes
Add the basil slaw on top

Brush the Eggplant prior to placing on the grill with Olive oil to prevent any sticking to the grill
Eggplant is like a dry sponge-it will soak up if you try doing it any other way
Keep the cover open and reduce to medium high
It will take 3-5 minutes on each side
one you flip add the tomatoes-cook 2 min or so then add the feta for another 2 minutes
should be ready to pull off
Garnish with fresh shredded basil

Recipe Created By: Tina Meade/Beyond Blyss