Toronto had a very mild winter (the mildest I can remember) and Spring has arrived early. Snow melted by the second week of March, trees and flowers bloomed early and the lilacs brief two weeks of aromatic bloom is but a memory. I write this post in shorts, T-shirt and itching to flick-on the air conditioner.
It’s well known that Canadians will light up their grills regardless of the weather but when it’s this hot, we look for any excuse to dine outdoors and what the heck, take the cooking outdoors too! Steaks, home-made burgers, souvlaki, whole fish or beer-can chicken will all be grilled this summer.
Side dishes can be a challenge in the warm months but it is possible. Here, I’d like to share a simple, easy and delicious salad. Grilled slices of eggplant and zucchini, extra-virgin olive oil, good balsamic vinegar, lots of chopped fresh mint and some crumbled Feta to finish off the dish.
Yesterday I wrote to you about my partnership with Christos Marketplace. This store is ready to take your order for Greek specialty ingredients like olive oil, dried herbs, pasta, olives and in this case, made in Greece Feta cheese. You now have access to Greek Feta cheese.
Try this salad out, crumble some real Feta on it and tell this is the best Feta you’ve ever had!
Grilled Eggplant and Zucchini Salad With Feta & Mint
(serves 4)
1 eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise
1 (or 2) zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch slices lengthwise
olive oil for brushing
coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese
- Pre-heat your gas or charcoal grill. Brush the grill service free of any residue. Wash your eggplant and zucchini and past-dry. Cut the stems off and slice lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices. Brush the slices with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Grill for 2-3 minutes a side and reserve. Arrange the eggplant and zucchini slices on a large plate or platter. In a small jar, add your minced garlic, olive oil, mustard and balsamic vinegar and add a pinch of salt. Close and shake to emulsify. Taste and adjust to taste.
- Spoon the dressing over your grilled vegetables, sprinkle the chopped mint and parsley and spread the crumbled Feta cheese all over. Serve warm or at room temperature.
28 Responses
Yum yum yum.. I think this is one of my favorite things to eat :)
How do you keep the eggplant and zucchini from sliding off the plates? :) Seriously, loving these two veggies together in this salad.
I thought you said they wouldn’t ship cheese/dairy products to Canada though?
yum yum gimme some!!! You made me make a rhyme… lovely summer dish…
Ενα πραγματικά πανέμορφο καλοκαιρινό πιάτο!!!
Φιλιά Peter!!!!
I love eggplant and your presentation makes it look all the more appetizing. You are lucky to have such warm weather already. We are going back into a cool stage, which is strange. I may have to visit Toronto to warm back up!
I wished I had seen this earlier. I looked in my fridge and just wasn’t inspired, but I could have made this. Oh well, pizza is on it’s way now and anyway I am feeling lazy and tired tonight. Maybe tomorrow :)
This is a winner for me! I am always looking for side dishes for when I’m grilling, plus my CSA always gives me oodles of eggplant and I get desparate to find something to do with all of them!
With a hunk of crusty bread and a glass of wine, I could happily make this meal. I browsed around Christos Marketplace. Looks interesting.
I like to use feta over eggplant salad too, but I never think to use mint except for iced tea. I love the way Greek cooking uses it in so many places.
A great side Peter…or even a main meal like Joan said. I’m also lovin’ the mint in this!
Eggplant and zucchini are two of my favorite vegetables and I love to grill them. But please, Peter, will you shut UP about your weather? :) It’s raining here, the forecast is for rain all week, there will be no grilling on my deck and this recipe, beautiful as it is, will have to wait until the f@#%*%@! rain it stops. This is California?
Just found the first good stand of mint in my garden this week, so I’m all ready to make this dish. Great combination of flavors.
Very appetizing. Love the addition of Feta. I’m picky about eggplant, but this looks good.
This certainly looks perfect for those hot nights! I love the combination of eggplant and mint – absolutely heavenly!
You certainly have a way with eggplant…..I have seen many mouthwatering eggplant dishes on this site and this one is no exception!!!
Simple frsh flavors make the most ideal salad. Grilling the vegetable is a must!
Love grilled eggplants and this salad looks perfect :)
terrific, peter. eggplant is one of those vegetables that is absolutely best when it’s grilled. bring on the summer heat!
Grilled aubergines & courgettes are a plate of summer…aren’t they? All you need now is fresh bread to soak up the juices…
Just grilled some aubergines today to make an Italian dish….
What a fresh and juicy combo, Peter.
I could picture myself putting all this salad in a large pita and eating the entire thing as a sandwich, with olive oil dripping everywhere! Heavenly.
My ex-husbands uncle in Montreal was Greek and they could always find the absolutely best feta. I still remember all the Greek delicacies right beside the Montreal bagels. I will have to keep Chrostos in mind especiallu sicne K-town is devoid of Greek yogurt.
This sounds amazing…I can’t wait to try it.
Love it! Grilled eggplant is such a treat and I have tons of fresh mint.
What a delicious sounding dish, I could make an entire meal of this and I love mint, but don’t feel I fully appreciate it in savory dishes like this. Cannot wait to try.
Simple and delicious, Peter. I love grilled sides/salads in the summer, too.