GRILLED EGGPLANT, GRAPE TOMATO, AND FETA SALAD WITH AMAZING BASIL, PARSLEY, AND CAPER SAUCE

GRILLED EGGPLANT, GRAPE TOMATO, AND FETA SALAD WITH AMAZING BASIL, PARSLEY, AND CAPER SAUCE image

Number Of Ingredients 14

8 medium-sized Japanese or Asian Eggplants
olive oil, for brushing eggplants
salt and fresh-ground black pepper for seasoning eggplants
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup crumbled Feta (or more)
Sauce Ingredients:
(This makes much more sauce than you need for the salad, but it's good on any type of grilled meat, grilled vegetables, or sliced tomatoes. The sauce will keep more than a week in the fridge.)
2/3 cup fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup parsley leaves (flat or curly)
2 large garlic cloves, sliced
1 T Dijon mustard
3 T capers
2 T fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

Preheat the grill to medium-high. (You can only hold your hand there for a few seconds at that heat.) Wash the eggplants if needed and cut off both ends. Cut the eggplants lengthwise, brush both sides with olive oil, and season the cut side with salt and pepper Lay eggplants on the grill cut side down, and cook until you see nice grill marks (about 5-7 minutes.) Turn eggplants and cook about 5 minutes more on the other side, or until eggplant is softened and nicely browned. Remove eggplant to a cutting board to cool. Make the amazing sauce while the eggplants cool. If needed, wash and spin dry the basil and parsley leaves. Slice the garlic cloves, then use a food processor fitted with a steel blade to chop the basil, parsley, and garlic. Add the Dijon, capers, and lemon juice and process until ingredients are well blended; then add the olive oil and process about 30 seconds more. Cut grape tomatoes in half. When eggplant is cool enough to handle, cut it into slices about 1 inch thick. Gently combine the eggplant and tomato halves in a bowl and stir in enough sauce to coat the ingredients (about 1/4 cup). Stir in the crumbled Feta and serve salad warm or at room temperature. Even though tomatoes are best when they haven't been refrigerated, this was not bad after it had been the fridge overnight. It didn't last much longer than that though.