This easy salad-appetizer is the best for a quiet friendly gathering along with a nice beer or wine! If you have your BBQ on, bake your eggplant there, for a more smoky taste!

Serves: 4 Prep. time: 10′ Cooks in: 55′ Ready in: 1:5′

Ingredients
2 large purple eggplants
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 tbsp thyme
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 cup parsley, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
½ lemon, juiced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt

Method
Step 1
Prick eggplants with a fork all around and bake in the oven on the rack at 200οC for 40-50 minutes (or BBQ), until skin is blackened and burnt. About 10 minutes later remove skin. Drain in a colander. Chop in a serving bowl and mix with garlic. Season with salt and drizzle with half oil, lemon juice and thyme.

Step 2
Cut tomatoes in half, remove seeds and finely chop in a bowl. Mix with onion and parsley. Add remaining oil and a little salt and stir. Spread on top of eggplant and serve.

Photo: George Drakopoulos – Food styling: Tina Webb 

Και η συνταγή στα ελληνικά: Σαλάτα με ψητές μελιτζάνες, ντομάτα και θυμάρι