Makes 6 servingsGrilled eggplant and pepper salad with garlic and olive oilThis colorful dish is one of my favorite salads and is a pleasant change from the usual eggplant with tehina or eggplant with mayonnaise. It’s at its best when made with freshly grilled vegetables.• 2 long, fairly slender eggplants (about 900 gr. or 2 pounds total) • 700 to 900 gr. (11⁄2 to 2 pounds) sweet red peppers• 2 hot peppers (optional) • 2 medium garlic cloves • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 Tbsp. vinegar (optional) Prick eggplants a few times with fork.Grill eggplants above medium-hot coals about 40 minutes, turning often, until skin blackens and flesh is tender.Grill sweet and hot peppers, turning them often, until their skins blister all over; sweet peppers will take about 15 minutes and hot peppers about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly; or put in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand 10 minutes.Peel peppers using paring knife and remove seeds. Dice peppers.Leave eggplants until cool enough to handle. Remove eggplant skin and cut off caps. Halve eggplants and drain off any liquid inside.Chop eggplant and peppers very fine.Transfer to a bowl and add garlic, salt and pepper. Mix very well. Add oil and vinegar if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning.Serve at room temperature.Makes 6 servings Yellow rice salad with grilled red peppers The grilled peppers, along with olives and hot pepper relish, give this colorful salad of spiced rice pilaf plenty of flavor. The salad makes a tasty accompaniment for kebabs or it can be served with feta cheese or hard-boiled eggs.• 3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil • 1 large onion, halved lengthwise • 2 small zucchini or pale-green-skinned summer squash (225 grams or 1⁄2 pound) sliced thinly • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 1⁄4 cups long-grain white rice • 1 tsp. ground cumin • 1⁄4 tsp. turmeric • 21⁄2 cups hot water • 2 to 3 Tbsp. chopped parsley • 1 to 2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar • Rice vinegar or lemon juice • 2 to 3 tsp. s’hug (hot pepper garlic relish) or hot sauce, or to taste • 1⁄2 cup green olives, pitted and halved • 2 sweet red peppersHeat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until soft but not brown. Remove from pan.Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat it. Add zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.Return one third of the onions to pan and heat them. Add rice and saute over medium-low heat, stirring for 3 minutes or until grains turn white. Add cumin, turmeric, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and scant 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper. Pour hot water over rice and stir once. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover tightly and simmer for 14 minutes. Scatter remaining sauteed onions over the top. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until rice is tender.With a fork, fluff rice lightly and transfer to a bowl. Lightly fold zucchini and parsley. Let cool completely. Fold in vinegar, hot pepper relish, olives and 1 tablespoon oil if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning.Grill peppers on heated grill, turning them occasionally, until their skins are blistered and charred, about 10 to 15 minutes; do not let them burn. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover bowl; or put them in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand for 10 minutes. Peel peppers using paring knife.Halve peppers; be careful because they may have hot juice inside. Discard seeds and ribs, and pat dry. Do not rinse.Dice peppers and stir them gently into rice. Serve at room temperature.Makes 6 servingsTraditional eggplant salad This recipe is from Delights of Jerusalem. Author Rina Valero calls for grilling the eggplant over a gas flame in the kitchen but it’s even better when grilled outdoors on the barbecue. She recommends peeling the tomato but I skip this step.• 1 large seedless eggplant • 1 cucumber • 1 peeled tomato • 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 garlic clove • Salt and freshly ground pepper to tastePrick eggplant a few times with a fork. Grill eggplant above medium-hot coals about 40 minutes, turning often, until skin blackens and flesh is tender. Let eggplant cool enough to handle. Peel eggplant, drain well and mash or chop fine.Transfer eggplant to a bowl. Add oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Finely dice the cucumber and tomato and stir into the eggplant.Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve cool or at room temperature.Makes 3 or 4 servings
Celebrating Israeli style
Serve up a plate of grilled kebabs and eggplant salad for a simple and fresh Independence Day.
Makes 6 servingsGrilled eggplant and pepper salad with garlic and olive oilThis colorful dish is one of my favorite salads and is a pleasant change from the usual eggplant with tehina or eggplant with mayonnaise. It’s at its best when made with freshly grilled vegetables.• 2 long, fairly slender eggplants (about 900 gr. or 2 pounds total) • 700 to 900 gr. (11⁄2 to 2 pounds) sweet red peppers• 2 hot peppers (optional) • 2 medium garlic cloves • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 Tbsp. vinegar (optional) Prick eggplants a few times with fork.Grill eggplants above medium-hot coals about 40 minutes, turning often, until skin blackens and flesh is tender.Grill sweet and hot peppers, turning them often, until their skins blister all over; sweet peppers will take about 15 minutes and hot peppers about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly; or put in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand 10 minutes.Peel peppers using paring knife and remove seeds. Dice peppers.Leave eggplants until cool enough to handle. Remove eggplant skin and cut off caps. Halve eggplants and drain off any liquid inside.Chop eggplant and peppers very fine.Transfer to a bowl and add garlic, salt and pepper. Mix very well. Add oil and vinegar if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning.Serve at room temperature.Makes 6 servings Yellow rice salad with grilled red peppers The grilled peppers, along with olives and hot pepper relish, give this colorful salad of spiced rice pilaf plenty of flavor. The salad makes a tasty accompaniment for kebabs or it can be served with feta cheese or hard-boiled eggs.• 3 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil • 1 large onion, halved lengthwise • 2 small zucchini or pale-green-skinned summer squash (225 grams or 1⁄2 pound) sliced thinly • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste • 1 1⁄4 cups long-grain white rice • 1 tsp. ground cumin • 1⁄4 tsp. turmeric • 21⁄2 cups hot water • 2 to 3 Tbsp. chopped parsley • 1 to 2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar • Rice vinegar or lemon juice • 2 to 3 tsp. s’hug (hot pepper garlic relish) or hot sauce, or to taste • 1⁄2 cup green olives, pitted and halved • 2 sweet red peppersHeat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saute pan. Add onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes or until soft but not brown. Remove from pan.Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat it. Add zucchini, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute over medium heat for 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.Return one third of the onions to pan and heat them. Add rice and saute over medium-low heat, stirring for 3 minutes or until grains turn white. Add cumin, turmeric, 3⁄4 teaspoon salt and scant 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper. Pour hot water over rice and stir once. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to very low, cover tightly and simmer for 14 minutes. Scatter remaining sauteed onions over the top. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until rice is tender.With a fork, fluff rice lightly and transfer to a bowl. Lightly fold zucchini and parsley. Let cool completely. Fold in vinegar, hot pepper relish, olives and 1 tablespoon oil if you like. Taste and adjust seasoning.Grill peppers on heated grill, turning them occasionally, until their skins are blistered and charred, about 10 to 15 minutes; do not let them burn. Transfer peppers to a bowl and cover bowl; or put them in a plastic bag and close bag. Let stand for 10 minutes. Peel peppers using paring knife.Halve peppers; be careful because they may have hot juice inside. Discard seeds and ribs, and pat dry. Do not rinse.Dice peppers and stir them gently into rice. Serve at room temperature.Makes 6 servingsTraditional eggplant salad This recipe is from Delights of Jerusalem. Author Rina Valero calls for grilling the eggplant over a gas flame in the kitchen but it’s even better when grilled outdoors on the barbecue. She recommends peeling the tomato but I skip this step.• 1 large seedless eggplant • 1 cucumber • 1 peeled tomato • 1 Tbsp. chopped parsley • 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 garlic clove • Salt and freshly ground pepper to tastePrick eggplant a few times with a fork. Grill eggplant above medium-hot coals about 40 minutes, turning often, until skin blackens and flesh is tender. Let eggplant cool enough to handle. Peel eggplant, drain well and mash or chop fine.Transfer eggplant to a bowl. Add oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Finely dice the cucumber and tomato and stir into the eggplant.Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve cool or at room temperature.Makes 3 or 4 servings