Tomato Salad With Smoky Eggplant Flatbread Food

TOMATO SALAD WITH SMOKY EGGPLANT FLATBREAD

Steps:

• Set the whole, unpeeled eggplant directly over a bed of hot coals, over the open flame of a gas burner at full blast or under the broiler. With a paring knife or skewer, poke a few holes into the eggplant to allow steam to escape. Let the skin of the eggplant blacken and blister, turning the eggplant continuously until it is soft, collapsed and completely charred, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Set the cooked eggplant on a chopping board, and, when cool enough to handle, cut in half from top to bottom. Let cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes), then scoop out flesh with a spoon, discarding any large seed pockets. Tear or roughly chop eggplant flesh and put in a medium bowl.
• Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, garlic, yogurt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, and salt and pepper. Beat mixture with a fork, leaving it somewhat rough. Set aside to let flavors meld at room temperature, then taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Put diced onion in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add pomegranate molasses, sumac and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir in 2 tablespoons olive oil.
• Add chopped tomatoes and fold into onion mixture, sprinkling with a bit more salt, if necessary. Transfer to a serving dish and top with walnuts.
• Spread eggplant mixture on pieces of warm lavash or pita, keeping the edges clear, and arrange on a platter. Spoon some of the tomato mixture onto each piece. Sprinkle dill, parsley and mint liberally over it all.

EGGPLANT-TOMATO SALAD

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Brush eggplant with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.
• Broil eggplant in the hot oven, turning to brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Transfer cooked eggplant to a large bowl. Add tomatoes and onion.
• Combine remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Pour dressing over salad.

TOMATO, BASIL AND EGGPLANT FLATBREAD WITH BLUE CHEESE

Steps:

• FOR THE FLATBREAD DOUGH: In a measuring cup, combine the water, sugar and yeast. Set aside until yeast is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Stir in olive oil. In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose and whole- wheat flours, salt and pepper. Make a well in the center and pour in the yeast mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
• Dump the mixture onto a lightly floured board or other work surface. With lightly floured hands, knead the dough for 8 to 10 minutes, adding more flour just when the dough sticks to your hands or work surface. until the dough is smooth.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let set in a warm, draft-free place until it's doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and then divide it into 4 equal pieces. Knead each dough piece on a lightly floured work surface for 1 minute into a tight ball. Set dough balls on an oiled tray and refrigerate, covered, for 20 minutes or longer. (Dough can be made up to 1 day in advance. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.)
• FOR THE ROASTED EGGPLANT SLICES: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Soak the eggplant slices in cold water for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Spritz 2 baking sheets with olive oil. Arrange slices in a single layer on the sheets and then spritz them with more oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes until lightly browned. Cool and reserve for use.
• TO ASSEMBLE THE FLATBREADS: Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack of the oven and preheat oven to 500 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, press a ball of Flatbread Dough into a disc, then roll it in a thin circle about 1/8 inch thick.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured wooden pizza paddle. Spritz the dough with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with some cooked minced garlic (or roasted garlic paste). Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Add 3 to 4 eggplant slices, then 6 or 7 torn fresh basil leaves. Add 2 to 3 tomato slices. Top with 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese and a few twists of black pepper.
• Spritz with a little more olive oil, then gently slide the dough off the wooden paddle and onto the pizza stone. Bake 4 to 6 minutes, until the crust is crisp and golden brown. Remove flatbread with the paddle onto a cutting surface and slice.
• Repeat the process with the remaining three flatbread discs.
• TIP 1: If you prepare the dough and eggplant in advance and arrange all your other ingredients before starting, you can assemble each of these flatbreads in about 2 minutes, plus 4 to 6 minutes baking time.
• TIP 2: When it comes to toppings, less is more --- don't lay them on too thick. And get yourself a pizza stone and a wooden pizza paddle in order to handle and cook the thin crust properly.