Serves: 4-6
Recipe by Lynmar Estate Chef David Frakes
Grilled Eggplant Caponata
Caponata is an easy and delicious Sicilian salad that is wonderful served alongside grilled meats or simply offered with crusty bread as an appetizer. There are many variations of caponata—often seen in a sweeter style with raisins and pine nuts. Here, Chef Frakes adapts the recipe to guarantee it will stand up to bigger reds. We recommend sampling this recipe with Quail Hill Pinot Noir.
Ingredients
- 1 eggplant, ends trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices
- 1 yellow onion, cut crosswise into ½-inch thick slices
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 ripe tomato
- 16 kalamata olives, pitted and cut in half
- ¼ cup basil, chopped
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
To Prepare
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Brush both sides of the eggplant and onion with olive oil.
- Grill eggplant and onion until they are tender and golden brown, 8-12 minutes.
- Move to a cutting board and allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, core tomato and cut into ½-inch dice, add to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the olives, basil, capers, vinegar and garlic. When eggplant and onion are cool enough to handle, cut into ½-inch dice and add them to the bowl as well.
- Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix well and leave at room temperature before serving.
Grilled T-Bone Steaks
Herbes de Provence is a combination of dried herbs said to reflect the most commonly used herbs in Southern France. The assortment typically contains basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory and thyme.
Ingredients
- 4 T-bone Steaks (16 oz each and 1-inch thick)
- 2-3 teaspoons herbs de Provence
- Salt and pepper
To Prepare
- Preheat grill.
- Brush both sides of the eggplant and onion with olive oil.
- Lightly brush both sides of the steaks with oil. Season with herbs de Provence, salt and pepper.
- Grill over high heat until cooked to desired temperature, 12-16 minutes for medium rare. Turn steaks only once.
- Transfer to a cutting board and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve warm with the caponata.