Aubergine (eggplant), tomato and herb salad

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A good salad, easy to assemble delivering big flavour for the little effort.

While the aubergines roast into the oven go the little tomatoes whole, first drizzled with a little oil and pomegranate molasses for a little sweet and sour dressing as some tomatoes will burst, their juice  adding their flavour and this in turn will be soaked by the cooked aubergines, avoiding having to add too much oil.

Modern Day Aubergines
The older and more seeds they have the bitter they are.  Having said this, the aubergines bought today are grown hydroponically, being fed constant water and I think this treatment makes them generally less bitter than they use to be and unnecessary to salt them as old recipes required.

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 Brushed them with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, thyme leaves and if using generous  amounts of paprika.

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Bake them in hot oven.  After 15-20 mins turn them over and sprinkle them again with salt and pepper and place them back for another 5-10 mins until they’ve shriveled a bit and have changed to a light brown colour.

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Roast a handful of little ripe tomatoes pouring some olive oil and pomegranate molasses over them.

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Aubergine, tomato and herb salad

serves 2 as a side salad

  • 1 aubergine cut into slices
  • handful of baby tomatoes
  • fresh thyme, parsley, basil and if liked little mint
  • olive oil for brushing over aubergines
  • 1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (syrup) or a mild vinegar like sherry or fruit vinegar or juice from a lemon (if using vinegar or lemon juice add a touch of sweetness by a large pinch of sugar or honey with it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, mild or hot or chilli
  • Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/400F

Aubergines
Place the aubergine slices in one layer on a shallow oven tray.  Brushed them with olive oil, sprinkle salt and pepper, thyme leaves and if using generous  amounts of paprika.  Bake them in hot oven.  After 15-20 mins turn them over and sprinkle them again with salt and pepper and place them back for another 5-10 mins until they’ve shriveled a bit and have changed to a light brown colour.

Tomatoes
In the meantime place the tomatoes in an oven dish and sprinkle a little oil and the syrup or vinegar with the sugar over them and roast them for 10-15 mins until some have burst.

Mix the aubergine and tomatoes together with all the juices the tomatoes have released, add the chopped parsley, basil and if using mint and mix all together.  Preferable if you can let the salad stand for 20 mins as the warm aubergines will continue to soak up some of the dressing.  This is the sort of salad that is best served at room temperature.