Grilled Eggplant Salad

I really enjoy cooking with eggplant. It is a vegetable that can facilitate and absorb many flavors. Everyone knows the American Italian dish "Eggplant Parmesan" when it pairs beautifully with tomato and cheese. It is also beautiful in stir fry with sesame and ginger. The French pair it with squash, peppers, and tomato for Ratatouille. The Middle East has Baba Ganoush where eggplant is blended with tahini and lemon. So you can see its versatility. So you can begin to see why I find eggplant so irresistable.

I'm not sure the provenance of this salad, alot Greek I suppose. The greeks widespread combination of lemon and oregano is always refreshing, plus sour pungent feta cheese.

1 medium eggplant, sliced, salted, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 cloved of garlic, minced

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup fruity olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Brush the eggplant slices with some of the oil and grill over hot coals until the flesh begins to soften, but not mushy

Combine the oregano, mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the remaining oil to create a "lemonette".

Toss the eggplant slices, while still warm from the grill, with the lemonette.

To serve, top the eggplant salad with crumbled Feta cheese and more chopped fresh herbs.