Tomato-eggplant Tortino

Total Time: 25 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, minced fresh
• 1 tablespoon basil leaves, minced fresh
• 1 tablespoon parsley, minced
• 1 lb eggplant (2 to 2 1/2 in. wide)
• 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes, multiple colors (2 to 2 1/2 in. wide)
• 3/4 lb mozzarella cheese, fresh (fresh cherve ok too )
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• fresh thyme sprig
• basil sprig
• parsley sprig

Recipe

• 1 combine oil and minced thyme, basil, and parsley.
• 2 trim eggplant ends and discard. rinse eggplant, cut into 24 equal rounds, and brush lightly with some of the herb oil.
• 3 rinse and core tomatoes, then trim thin slices off tops and bottoms. cut yellow tomatoes into 24 equal rounds; cut red tomatoes into 12 equal rounds.
• 4 cut cheese into 12 equal rounds.
• 5 lay tomato slices in a 10- by 15-inch pan. drizzle with herb oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 6 lightly oil a barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds). lay eggplant on grill; close lid on gas barbecue. cook eggplant, turning once, until soft when pressed, 5 to 7 minutes total. let cool.
• 7 for each tortino, stack 1 slice each yellow tomato, eggplant, mozzarella, and red tomato, then top with 1 more slice each eggplant and yellow tomato. set stacks on a platter. reserve 2 teaspoons of pan juices from tomatoes; use remainder in other salads.
• 8 in a 2- to 3-quart pan over high heat, boil vinegar until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes, stirring as it nears the end of cooking.
• 9 mix the reserved tomato juices with vinegar and drizzle over tortinos. garnish with thyme sprigs.