Chef Patrice Olivon

Grilled Eggplant Rolls with Goat Cheese & Red Pepper

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Medium
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 appetizer portions

Ingredients
1 medium eggplant
1 medium zucchini
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
3 whole cloves garlic, green stems removed
1 teaspoon toasted pine nuts (pignolia)
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons soft goat cheese such as Honey Capra Goat from igourmet.com* (item #3421)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil such as Olio Carli from igourmet.com* (item #009)
Salt and pepper to taste

Garnish Ingredients
2 cups baby arugula
3 tablespoons oil, such as Roasted Pistachio Oil by La Tourangelle from igourmet.com* (item
#7173)
1 tablespoon vinegar, such as Carli Balsamic Vinegar of Modena or Solera 77 Sherry Vinegar
Reserve from igourmet.com* (items #003 and #217)
10 red cherry tomatoes, quartered
¼ cup candied spicy barbecue pistachios
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Methode
Cut the eggplant and the zucchini lengthwise into an equal number of 1/3 inch slices. On a hot grill or in a grill pan, grill the slices of eggplant and zucchini over high heat, about two minutes per side.

Roast the red pepper: place the whole red pepper on a hot grill or grill pan. Using tongs, turn it as it's roasting until it's nearly black on all sides – about ten minutes. While it's hot, place the red pepper in a brown paper bag and fold down the top to seal in the steam. After ten minutes, take it out of the bag and use your fingers to peel off the peppers' charred outer skin. Discard the char, then cut the roasted red pepper into one inch slices.

Make the pesto: in a food processor, add the chopped basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan cheese and olive oil. Process the mixture on medium until it's smooth, then set the pesto aside.

Layer the vegetables: on a piece of plastic wrap, line up the grilled eggplant slices just next to each other, then season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and a teaspoon of pesto on each slice. Place the zucchini slices on top of the eggplant and season with salt, pepper, and a bit of pesto. Repeat the process with the roasted red pepper, making sure to season each slice with salt, pepper and pesto. For the last layer, carefully spread the goat cheese on top of the red pepper slices.

Using the plastic wrap to help keep the vegetables together, carefully roll up the "sheet" of layered vegetables like a jelly-roll. You will have one long one cylinder of vegetables when it's all rolled up. Refrigerate the roll for 1 hour.

Remove the plastic wrap, then slice the long cylinder into 1 inch pieces. Let the eggplant rolls come up to room temperature, about ten minutes.

Accompany the eggplant rolls with a baby arugula salad. Make vinaigrette: whisk together the oil and vinegar, then gently toss with the baby arugula. Garnish the salad with red cherry tomatoes and candied spicy barbecue pistachios. Top the salad with grated Parmesan cheese.

"Dinner is Served. Bon Appetit!" — Chef Patrice Olivon

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 109 Calories; 8g Fat (57.7% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 1mg Cholesterol; 37mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1 ½ Vegetable; 1 ½ Fat.

*The mission of igourmet.com is to provide delicious, high-quality gourmet products to American consumers at the lowest possible prices, with all the speed and convenience of the Internet.The company also aims to be America's personal gourmet shopper. With its depth of expertise and long history, igourmet.com is uniquely able to sample the best examples of each gourmet item and bring its customers only the "best of the best." In addition, igourmet.com is a premiere resource for gourmet food information. The online store includes detailed product descriptions, recipes and serving suggestions to educate consumers about fine foods.

For more information about Chef Patrice and Dinner is Served,
visit www.chefpatrice.tv