Monday, July 16, 2007

Eggplant, Tomato & Basil Napoleon



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Hidee-ho campers!

Wow, is the weekend over already?

I don't know where the time went.

Me, I spend a huge portion of my weekend making shrimp and grits, and chili. Because you know, nothing says summertime like grits and chili...

Oh wait...maybe not. Or may be...

Nah, it doesn't. What says summertime is grilling.

And if you are one of my darling friends who eshews meat in favor of member of the vegetable kingdom...well, a bbq is a whole other animal (hardee har har) and one you should conquer indeed.

So for them, (and the veg lovers amongst us) this came to be.

All the things you want from a grilled-veg-platter, in one heaping, teetering, ooey-gooey stack.

Eggplant Napoleon stack indeed.


So simple, so elegant. SO delicious.


1 large eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 large ball-o-mozzarella cheese
2 large beefsteak tomatoes, sliced thick
4 large mushroom caps, cleaned
1 bunch basil leaves


Pre-heat and oil your grill.


Toss the eggplant slices, mushrooms and tomatoes with the olive oil and vinegar. How much olive oil you ask? Enough to coat, not so much it becomes soggy. Season with salt and pepper.


Grill each component until cooked to your liking. The eggplant will take the longest. After the eggplant is mostly cooked, top with a slice of cheese, and close the grill to let the cheese melt, about 3 more minutes.


To compose, simply stack the components together. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy


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Basil is Greek for 'royal' or 'kingly'.

Napoleons are usually made in small shapes just large enough for an individual serving

There is a Williams-Sonoma outlet store near Las Vegas! Williams-Sonoma Marketplace, Fashion Outlets Las Vegas, I-15 at Exit 1 in Primm, Nevada

Both Craft and Osteria Mozza opened on Friday night.