Cooking for two

Slather salsa verde on roasted eggplant

Eggplant Steaks With Salsa Verde
Eggplant Steaks With Salsa Verde

Eggplant steaks: You cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, roast with garlicky oil and serve with salsa verde and yogurt. Any recipe that includes a green sauce like this one catches our fancy. (It's the Italian variety that's heavy on herbs, not the Mexican one based on tomatillos, although that one is good, too.)

Serve with couscous or another grain of your choice.

Eggplant Steaks With Salsa Verde

For the salsa verde:

1 small clove garlic

3/4 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves

1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained, (optional)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Sea salt to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the eggplant:

1 Italian, globe or heirloom eggplants (12 ounces to 1 pound)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Cooked couscous, for serving (optional)

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, for serving

For the salsa verde: Finely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the parsley, cilantro, mint and the capers, if using. Pulse to form a coarse mixture. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper, then stream in the oil, whisking constantly. Taste, and add salt and/or pepper as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.

For the eggplant: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, keeping the stem on. Make several slashes diagonally across the flesh, 1/2 inch apart, scoring two-thirds of the way through the flesh without puncturing the underside skin.

Combine the garlic and oil in a small bowl, then spoon about a tablespoon over each eggplant half, working the mixture into the cuts. Brush it lightly on the skin side, too.

Arrange the eggplant halves cut sides up on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the flesh lightly with salt and pepper, then drizzle with the remaining garlic-and-oil mixture to coat. Roast until the flesh is golden brown and tender, about 40 minutes.

Allow the eggplant to cool slightly. Serve the steaks warm with couscous, if desired, the salsa verde and a dollop or drizzle of Greek yogurt.

Makes 2 servings.

Adapted from The Vegetable Butcher: How to Select, Prep, Slice, Dice and Masterfully Cook Vegetables From Artichokes to Zucchini by Cara Mangini (Workman, 2016)

Food on 06/29/2016

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