Salad of roasted eggplant, onion, tomato and broad beans Serves 4
1-2 medium eggplants, cut into 8 x 1cm thick slices, all about the same size
2 large sweet onions, cut into eight slices, as with eggplant
2 large tomatoes, cut into eight slices, as with eggplant
16 thin shavings of parmesan
1 can broad beans blanched in boiling water for 60 seconds
2 cups chopped salad leaves
Extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 220C. Sprinkle a little salt on both sides of each slice of eggplant. Wait 10 minutes then pat dry each slice with a towel. Brush each slice of both the eggplant and the onion with the olive oil, place on a baking tray and roast until the eggplant is golden brown and the onion is soft but doesn't fall apart - about 10-12 minutes. To assemble the dish, stack in sequence: 1 eggplant slice, 1 tomato, 2 parmesan shards and the onion, seasoning as you go. Repeat again, concluding with the onion on top. Toss the broad beans and the chopped salad leaves with 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil and the vinegar, season and arrange around each stack.
Crab and broad bean crostoni- Serves 4
1 can broad beans
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked blue swimmer, spanner or mud crab meat
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
1 or 2 red chillis, finely chopped
6 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 large slices bread, lightly toasted or grilled
1 large clove garlic, cut in two
Plunge the broad beans into boiling, salted water for 1 minute. Put 3/4 of the cooked, still warm, beans in a bowl with the 6 tbsp of olive oil and mash them with a fork until roughly pureed. Add the rest of the beans, crab, coriander, chilli and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently, keeping the pieces of crab whole. Brush the bread with 2 tbsp of olive oil and lightly grill or toast it. Rub the grilled bread with the cut face of the garlic pieces. Spread the broad bean and crab mixture on each of the crostini and serve whole or cut into pieces.
