09/06/07 Eggplant

Welcome to Vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran and today is food and wine pairing day. The vegetables just keep on coming and I love it! Now the eggplant is in abundance and I for one have found a few new recipes that are quite suitable to some of our favorite wines. Eggplant may not be at the top of everyone's list of favorite veggies  but I maintain it is because they have never had it well prepared. So here are a few suggestions. One simple preparation is to take quarter inch slices of eggplant spray them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt. Drop them onto a grill over medium heat to cook. When they are soft but not mushy layer them on a plate with alternating slices or ripe tomatoes and drizzle fresh basil sundried tomato pesto over it. Simple yes and full of flavor matching well with lighter styles of red and fuller bodied slightly fruity whites. Another delicious preparation is to make a side dish by layering eggplant alternately in a casserole with sliced tomatoes onions parmesan cheese and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes and open up a spicy red or a crispy white wine to go with it. If you really want to be ambitious, you can create an eggplant timbale, there are recipes on the internet. They make a wonderful side dish for most grilled red meat or a nice entrée for a vegetarian meal. Seek out some new recipes and please share with me Linda at vine to wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.