Roasted Eggplant Salad With Cucumber

Two perfect eggplants arrived in our CSA this week, and I immediately wanted to make this salad. I first made it two summers ago after spotting it in Bon Appétit, and wrote about it on Food52 shortly thereafter.

In sum: it’s a composed salad, three layers of goodness:

1. Layer 1: Cucumber-yogurt sauce, seasoned with cumin, garlic, and fresh lemon. It’s kind of like a cross between an Indian raita and a Greek tzatziki.
2. Layer 2: Roasted eggplant, irresistible on its own, caramelized at the edges, creamy in the center.
3. Layer 3: Tomato salad, dressed in a simple mix of equal parts olive oil and white balsamic vinegar, plus flaky sea salt to taste. A handful of greens, such as arugula or sprouts, gets folded into the dressed tomatoes just before serving.

The original recipe calls for a layer of crispy kale chips, which are very delicious and which complement the other vegetables well, but I never make them anymore as two roasted components for a summer salad feels too much like hard work.

Right?

I made this salad for dinner tonight (July 31st, 2019) and served it with olive oil toasted bread and a few wedges of cheese my mother sent me home with last week. And though I feel I’m beginning to sound like a broken record — “Serve this with bread and a hunk of cheese and call dinner done!” — that’s what happened tonight and what happens more and more these days.

Current hierarchy of needs: Vegetables. Bread. Wine. Cheese.

Yes or no?

Description

Adapted from this recipe from London’s Gunpowder restaurant.

• 2 medium eggplants (about 1½ – 2 pounds total), quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2 -inch pieces
• 1 / 4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• kosher salt
• 1 / 2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and crushed, or ground cumin
• 1 cucumber (about 8 oz )
• 1 cup whole milk (or 2%) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• a handful of arugula or other greens
• flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

1. Heat oven to 450°F convection roast. Toss eggplants with 1/4 cup of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy cleaning; season with salt (at least 1 teaspoon kosher salt). Roast, until eggplant pieces are deeply golden on the side touching the sheet pan, about 20 minutes or longer. Remove pan from oven, flip over each piece gently using a fork or spatula (this is just to ensure the pieces are golden and to ensure they don’t stick). Set aside.
2. Grate the cucumber coarsely on a box grater. Set the grated cucumber over a sieve to drain. Save the cucumber juice — it’s great in cocktails or simply mixed with sparkling or still water.
3. In a medium bowl, stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the garlic, and the juice of half the lemon (about 1.5 tablespoons). Add the toasted, ground cumin seed. Season with salt, starting with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon if necessary. Taste. Add more salt and lemon to taste — this should taste nicely seasoned.
4. Toss tomatoes with a good pinch of flaky sea salt and the tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add arugula and toss gently. Spoon yogurt mixture onto a large platter and layer eggplant on top. Top with tomato-arugula mixture. Taste. Sprinkle with more salt, olive oil, or lemon if necessary.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Description

Adapted from this recipe from London’s Gunpowder restaurant.

• 2 medium eggplants (about 1½ - 2 pounds total), quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 2 -inch pieces
• 1 / 4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
• kosher salt
• 1 / 2 teaspoon cumin seed, toasted and crushed, or ground cumin
• 1 cucumber (about 8 oz )
• 1 cup whole milk (or 2%) plain Greek yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• a handful of arugula or other greens
• flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling

1. Heat oven to 450°F convection roast. Toss eggplants with 1/4 cup of the oil on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment for easy cleaning; season with salt (at least 1 teaspoon kosher salt). Roast, until eggplant pieces are deeply golden on the side touching the sheet pan, about 20 minutes or longer. Remove pan from oven, flip over each piece gently using a fork or spatula (this is just to ensure the pieces are golden and to ensure they don’t stick). Set aside.
2. Grate the cucumber coarsely on a box grater. Set the grated cucumber over a sieve to drain. Save the cucumber juice — it’s great in cocktails or simply mixed with sparkling or still water.
3. In a medium bowl, stir the cucumber into the yogurt, along with the garlic, and the juice of half the lemon (about 1.5 tablespoons). Add the toasted, ground cumin seed. Season with salt, starting with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, adding an additional 1/4 teaspoon if necessary. Taste. Add more salt and lemon to taste — this should taste nicely seasoned.
4. Toss tomatoes with a good pinch of flaky sea salt and the tablespoon of olive oil and vinegar in a medium bowl. Add arugula and toss gently. Spoon yogurt mixture onto a large platter and layer eggplant on top. Top with tomato-arugula mixture. Taste. Sprinkle with more salt, olive oil, or lemon if necessary.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Salad
• Method: Roast
• Cuisine: Mediterranean

Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2019/07/31/roasted-eggplant-salad-cucumber-yogurt-sauce-tomatoes/

Loaded with corn, scallions, and herbs, these fritters are a summer favorite. The batter can be made with all-purpose flour or, for a gluten-free version, with rice flour, oat flour, or other gluten-free flour. They are delicious with a squeeze of lime, but I love serving them with tzatziki.

Every summer we spend a week in Lake George with Ben’s parents. We stay at place called Stepping Stones, an idyllic spot equipped with fully stocked cottages, but even so, I always arrive with the essentials: a chef’s knife, a peeler, a salad bowl, and … a dozen cookbooks, half of which I never open, but which I feel I must bring anyway.

What can I say? Cookbooks = security blanket.

A few summer’s ago, I brought Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors , which immediately inspired me to make her corn fritters with aged Cheddar, which I then wrote about on Food52 . I made them again recently and was reminded why I love them: they are loaded with corn!

As Deborah Madison says, these fritters are “all corn, not just a few kernels suspended in batter.” And though Cheddar may sound ordinary here, its sharpness complements the sweet corn so nicely, and it browns beautifully, too, creating a crisp, golden exterior.

A Few Corn Fritter-Making Tips:

• Make a test fritter . A test fritter enables you to adjust the seasonings and consistency before you fry up the entire amount of batter.
• Adapt the recipe as you wish . I love Cheddar in this recipe, but Madison recommends a number of others, including goat, feta, and Gouda. For herbs, if you don’t like cilantro, use parsley or chives.
• Make them gluten-free . To make these gluten-free, use rice flour, oat flour or other gluten-free flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
• Spice it up. As written, these fritters are flavored pretty minimally with scallions, herbs, and cheese. If you like heat, a diced hot chili, splash of hot sauce, or pinch of crushed red pepper flakes would all be welcome here.

Description

Adapted from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors.

Update 7-29-2023: I’ve updated my method to minimize/eliminate the exploding corn issues I’ve experienced in the past. Method is reflected in the recipe below.

The batter can be made ahead and chilled in the fridge. Be sure to give it a good stir before frying.

I often make a half batch. For a half recipe, I find 1/2 cup of flour works well. And depending on how juicy the corn is and what kind of flour I’m using, I use 2 to 3 eggs.

If you don’t like cilantro, feel free to omit it or to use another herb or more scallions. I’ve made a half batch with 8 scallions and no cilantro, and it was delicious.

• 6 ears of corn, shucked
• kosher salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
• 1 / 2 cup chopped cilantro or more to taste, see notes above
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese or Monterey Jack (about 6 ounces )
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
• freshly cracked black pepper, optional
• olive oil or grapeseed oil, for frying
• fresh lime, sour cream, hot sauce, or tzatziki for serving, optional
• Sea salt, such as Maldon, for finishing

1. Make the batter. Slice the tops of the kernels off the corn, then reverse your knife and press out the milk. (You should have about 3 cups of kernels.) Transfer the kernels and milk to a large bowl. Updated Method 7-29-2023: Line a shallow bowl or cutting board with a towel, then slice off the kernels by running a knife down the side of each cob. Pat the kernels dry with the towel , then transfer to a large bowl.
2. Season with 1 to 2 teaspoons kosher salt. (Note: I typically use 1 teaspoon of salt for every 3 ears of corn.) Add the eggs, scallions, cilantro, cheese, and flour. Season with pepper, if using. Use a spatula to mix everything together very well. Grab a golfball-sized amount of batter and squeeze it in your hands. If it barely holds together, beat another egg, add it to the batter, and mix again — you’re looking for the batter to be pasty in texture. If the batter looks too wet, sprinkle in flour by the tablespoon.
3. Make a test fritter: Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a teaspoon of oil. When it shimmers, drop a spoonful of the batter into the oil and flatten gently. Season with a pinch of salt. After 1 minute, check the underside to ensure it is lightly browned. If it is, flip the fritter, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until evenly golden. Season with salt. Remove the fritter and let cool briefly. Taste. If the fritter tastes nicely seasoned and holds its shape, proceed with the recipe. If it does not, adjust as necessary with more salt, egg, or flour.
4. Fry the remaining fritters: In a large nonstick pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan or use a brush to distribute the oil. When it shimmers, use a large spoon to drop golfball-sized amounts of the batter into the oil, then gently flatten each mound with the back of the spoon. Season with a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat to medium. After about a minute, check the underside to ensure the fritters are lightly browned. Flip the fritters, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until evenly golden. Transfer the fritters to a serving platter, season with sea salt, and let cool briefly. Proceed with the remaining batter, wiping out the skillet and adding another tablespoon of oil before adding more fritter batter. Warning: Please be careful while frying. Keep your heat at medium to medium-high and beware of exploding corn kernels—every so often, one comes flying out of the pan—and splattering oil. If you have one of those spatter guards, use it. I’ve found that by drying off the kernels as noted in the updated method in step 1, I rarely have the exploding-corn issue, but please be aware of it.
5. Serve with fresh lime, sour cream, hot sauce, or tzatziki if you wish.

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Side Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American