After my hiking trip to Achensee and my massive sightseeing trips to Verbania and Milan, I took a real holiday. No phone, just reading books, drinking wine, looking at medieval architecture, and swimming in the sea. Real island time!
Shortie but Goodie: Feta-Stuffed Dates
This is the easiest one yet: Two ingredients. Unless you have a severe dislike for one of those, you will love this.
Shortie but Goodie: Oven-Baked Eggplant
I like baked stuff a lot these days. This baked stuff is a super easy dish or appetizer and a favorite for the summer time (or those yucky winter months when a hit of Italian-style goodness is everything).
Eggplants are cheaper in the summer, of course, but if that is not an issue for you, then knock yourself out right away.
Oven-baked Eggplant
1 -2 eggplants (really fat ones if you can get them)
100 g tomato paste
100 g grated parmesan cheese
a bunch of fresh basil leaves
a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper
- cut eggplant lengthwise in thin slices (3-5 mm, yes you can)
- grill in the oven on a reck until they are soft (no baking sheet at this point will speed up the process), at about 200 degrees Celsius
- remove from the rack to cool a bit, cover rack with a baking sheet
- spread a thin layer of tomato paste on each slice, stick a basil leave on top and put the slices next to each other on the rack, add pepper
- cover everything with grated cheese
- bake for 10 mins at about 200 degrees Celsius or until the cheese is golden
Serve with ciabatta or any kind of (toasted) bread you like. This also goes well with tomato butter.
Also, as always, feel free to add as much garlic as you like. Timing-wise, I suggest drizzling the tomato pasted-ed eggplant with garlic oil before adding the cheese.
If you want to keep it vegan use toasted nuts or breadcrumbs instead of the cheese.
Shortie but Goodie: Tomato Butter
I recently heard of apple butter. Then I found out that apple butter contains no actual butter, and was a bit bummed. I will not do this to you. Tomato butter is made with butter.
So, uh… Like tomatoes? Not afraid of fat? Often consume bread and bread-like substances and need something to smear them with?
I’ve got you covered! Try mixing up this simple yet delicious concoction:
Tomato Butter
250 g butter or margarine
1 jar sun-dried tomatoes in oil
150 g tomato paste
Loads of thyme, oregano and other Italian herbs you like
Pepper, salt
