RECIPE AND PHOTO BY JIM GALLUCCI
IN THE 1920S, A PATRIOTIC ITALIAN STONE WORKER created the Caprese Salad in tribute to his beloved country by representing the flag’s colors of red, green, and white. Since then, we have come to recognize this combination to also represent the bounties of summer.
Like most Italians, I remember many summer evenings sitting down to trays filled with a Caprese Salad served alongside our family dinners, especially when the tomatoes from my father’s garden were bountiful in late summer. Even today, a Caprese Salad layered with smoked ham can often be found on my dinner table any time throughout the summer. That—along with a loaf of crusty Italian bread to sop up the juice from the tomato and extra virgin olive oil—has always been (and always will be) a favorite meal of mine. It’s one I look forward to all year.
And what better way to celebrate summer than with Grilled Eggplant Caprese with Lemon Pesto Dressing? This recipe features vine-ripe tomatoes, garden-fresh basil, and creamy mozzarella cheese, stacked with grilled eggplant; all dressed in a lemony pesto dressing for a new twist on the classic salad.
For the freshest ingredients, look to Salvaterra’s Gardens and Phillips Farms at the Easton Farmers Market, and Red Barn Produce at the Allentown Farmers Market.
If you want a straight-up regular pesto, try Maria Rodale’s Very Green Pesto Recipe.
Enjoy!
Grilled Eggplant Caprese with Lemon Pesto Dressing
Ingredients
For the Caprese
- 2 medium eggplants about 1¼ pounds
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3–4 medium fresh tomatoes
- 16 ounces whole-milk mozzarella
- 1 large bunch fresh basil washed and air-dried
For the Lemon Pesto Dressing
- 3 tablespoons raw pine nuts or almonds
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic roughly chopped
- ½ cup packed fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut the eggplant into ½-inch rounds and place in a single layer on a cutting board covered with 2–3 sheets of paper towels. Lightly season both sides of the eggplant with salt and allow the eggplant to release its bitter liquid, for about 10 minutes.
- Pulse pine nuts in a food processor until they are completely broken down. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure that the nuts have been fully processed. Add olive oil and garlic and pulse until the garlic is finely chopped.
- Add basil leaves to the food processor and pulse, stopping every 10–15 seconds to push the leaves down. Blend until the basil is entirely worked into the olive oil. Add the lemon juice and pulse for a few seconds more, to prevent the basil from turning brown. Adjust for salt and pepper and cover with plastic wrap. Reserve.
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella cheese into ¼-inch-thick slices. Lightly season the tomatoes with salt. Set aside.
- Pat the eggplant rounds dry, then brush both sides of each round with olive oil.
- Heat a grill pan over medium heat or preheat a grill to medium. Transfer the eggplant rounds to the grill pan and cook. Grill the eggplant rounds until they are tender and grill marks appear, 3–4 minutes. Flip the rounds and continue to cook for an additional 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Alternate layers, starting with eggplant rounds, sliced tomato, and mozzarella. Repeat this order one more time. Finish by lightly drizzling the pesto dressing over the top of each stack and garnish with a fresh basil leaf.
Variation
- Turn this salad into a vegetable side dish by baking the stacks in an oven set to 400º for 10 minutes, until the cheese melts. Top with the Pesto Dressing.
