Tuscan bean, eggplant and tomato salad: No need to actually grill this eggplant

Tis the grilling season. Give me any food and I’ll bet I could create a grilled masterpiece out of it. Seafood, done. Carrots, parsnips, tomatoes, no problem. Peaches, plums, pineapple, I’m there. Eggplant? Well, not so fast. As much as I enjoy the smoky taste of grilled eggplant, to tell the truth, I really dislike all the prep work involved with that one. Salting and weighting (and waiting!) and draining, oh my! Enough. I want my eggplant at the ready, so this week I stumbled upon the product of my dreams.

From a delightful small producer in Italy comes Poggio Cappiano Grilled Eggplants in extra virgin olive oil. One twist of the jar, the smoky essence of grilled eggplant is stuffed in this 6 ounce jar. Wonderfully soft and creamy, the eggplant benefits from the fruity olive oil in which it is bathed. The combination of earthy eggplant and sweet olive oil is a winning combination.

Use these little morsels just simply served speared with toothpicks, on top of pasta or rice or in this cool summer salad below.

Sure, give me a piece of tuna or salmon to throw on the grill, and I’ll enjoy every minute of preparing it. As far as eggplant goes, I’d rather have it anytime I want without lighting a match.

www.poggiocappiano.it

TUSCAN BEAN, EGGPLANT AND TOMATO SALAD
4 servings

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 jar (6.35 oz) Poggio Cappiano Grilled Eggplants in extra virgin olive oil, drained, (reserve oil)
½ small red onion, diced
1/3 English cucumber, diced
1 yellow tomato, diced
1 red tomato, diced
½ cup halved cherry tomatoes

Dressing:
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ tsp sugar
1/4 cup reserved olive oil from the jar of grilled eggplants

4 cups fresh baby arugula leaves

1. In a large bowl, combine the beans, eggplant, onion, cucumber and all the tomatoes.

2. Prepare the dressing: Whisk together the balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic, and sugar. Slowly in a thin stream, whisk in the reserved olive oil. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Add the arugula leaves to a shallow platter. Top with the bean salad. Drizzle with balsamic dressing.

All photographs and recipe testing courtesy of Olga Berman from Mango & Tomato.