Saturday Lunch At The Lake...Open Face Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

Whether you are camping or lucky enough to have a house on a lake, this is a great Fall recipe to enjoy with your guests. 

We have been keeping a grill down by the dock to enjoy the cooler temperatures and the Fall foliage.  On weekends a few of our neighbors and their guests come down and cook on the grill.  Afterwards, we build a bonfire and enjoy the stars.  All is not perfect, for with nature come those awful little spiders that seem to gravitate only to my feet! Last time I was down there I got bitten not once but twice by those little monsters on the way back to the house.  You know the rest.  Another two weeks of itching and scratching and a swelled and ugly foot. 

Ingredients

Eight 1/2-inch-thick slices of peasant bread
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
 One 1 1/4-pound eggplant, sliced crosswise 1 inch thick
 Salt and freshly ground black pepper
 4 plum tomatoes, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
 1/2 pound buffalo mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
 8 large basil leaves, torn
 Coarse sea salt

Directions

1.Light a grill. Brush the bread on both sides with olive oil and grill over high heat until crisp on the outside but still soft inside, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a platter.


2.Brush the eggplant slices with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Grill over moderate heat until charred on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn and grill until tender, about 3 minutes longer.

3.Top the eggplant with the tomato, mozzarella and basil. Cover the grill and cook until the cheese melts, 2 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the bread, sprinkle with sea salt and serve.


Recipe Food & Wine
Photo Tina Rupp