Grilled Eggplant Salad

I always feel stupid when I light up the grill for a pound of hamburgers, so I tried to make it worthwhile by grilling the veggies, too.  The coals still lasted far longer than I needed.  I almost called my neighbors to see if they wanted to throw anything on.

This recipe fits well into my whole eating seasonal, Mediterranean-leaning good intentions for the summer.  Cooked salads are definitely a thing in that region, usually lightly dressed to you can taste the ingredients.  I kept it simple to mainly eggplant, but you could add zucchini, yellow squash, and/or bell peppers for added flavor or extra servings.

1 large eggplant
*1 yellow or red onion
2 Roma or beefsteak tomatoes
about 2 Tb vegetable oil for brushing
1 Tb balsamic vinegar
1 Tb olive oil
*1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp honey
*1 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
*Lettuce leaves for serving

1.  Preheat grill or broiler.  I used a grill pan for the tomatoes, then added the onions to it when they started to fall apart.  There are also grill mats now, which look similar to Silpats.

2.  Slice eggplant into 1" thick rounds.  Quarter tomatoes.  Slice onion 1/2" thick.  Brush all veggies lightly with oil, remembering that eggplant will soak up almost as much as you're willing to give it.  Try not to go overboard.

3.  Place veggies on grill or broiler pan.  Turn every few minutes.  Cook until done, which will not be the same amount of time for everything.  You don't have to blacken the eggplant like I did.  I like the taste of char.

4.  While the veggies are cooking, whisk up the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, honey, and mustard.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

5.  Allow cooked veggies to cool enough to handle.  Slice up eggplant and onions into strips or cubes.  Put all veggie pieces into a bowl and toss with the dressing.

6.  Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled, on top of lettuce leaves if desired.  You could also sprinkle with feta cheese to add a new level of tang.

Difficulty rating  π