Vegetable Melts on Garlic Toast

Vegetable melts can be served as a scrumptious appetizer, as a two-part meal with a soup, or as a vegetarian entree all by themselves. As you can see from the picture, when I made these for my family, I omitted the eggplant and olives, and used heirloom tomatoes rather than Roma tomatoes. I will include the directions if you would like to use the eggplant and olives, and the recipe is the same for whatever kind of tomatoes you use. Either way, these veggie melts will appeal to vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike.

1 eggplant (aubergine), about ¾ lb
salt
4 large, firm ripe Roma (or heirloom) tomatoes, about 1 lb
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion, such as Maui or Vidalia
5 oz spinach leaves, stems removed, about 4 cups loosely packed
1 tsp minced garlic, plus 1 clove halved
1 tbsp finely chopped pitted Kalamata olives
freshly ground pepper
4-6 slices sturdy whole grain bread
Basil leaves, thinly sliced
shredded mozzarella cheese

Peel the eggplant and cut crosswise into about ½ inch thick slices. Sprinkle both sides with salt and lay them in a colander set over a plate. Pay a second plate on tip to weigh them down and let stand for 1 hour. Rinse slices and pat dry with paper towels.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and remove the seeds. Arrange them, cut side up, in a baking pan and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange the eggplant on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Place both pans in the oven. Roast the eggplant for 15 minutes, flip the slices, and then roast until lightly browned and soft, about 10 more minutes. Remove from the oven. Meanwhile, roast the tomatoes, flipping them and rotating the pan so they cook evenly, until the skins are shriveled and caramelized, 35-45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let the tomatoes cool. Uncover and peel off any skins that have loosened. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and heat the olive oil, then add the onions and toss to coat. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp water, cover, reduce the heat to low, and cook until the onion is wilted and tender, about 8 minutes. Then uncover the pan, stir in the minced garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach leaves and toss to distribute evenly. Re-cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix.
Rub 1 side of each bread slice with the cut side of a garlic half. Place the slices on a baking sheet, brush evenly with olive oil, and bake until toasted, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and preheat a broiler, or the oven to 500 if you don't have a broiler.
Make a layer of the spinach on each of the toasts, dividing it evenly. Top with 1 or 2 slices of eggplant, slightly overlapping them if need be. Then add 2 roasted tomato halves, sprinkle evenly with basil. Arrange a layer of cheese on top of each toast. Put the pan into the broiler or oven for 4 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly.

Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking

Roasted Tomato Bisque

We have now reached fall, and are well on our way to the cold, cold winter. We begin to seek warm and hearty dishes, rather than the fresh, crisp dishes of summer. This tomato soup is the perfect soup for winter. The tomatoes are roasted in the oven for 30 minutes, concentrating their flavor and giving the bisque a full-bodied taste without the cream.

2½ lb Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
salt and pepper
about 1 tsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp sweet paprika
sour cream
chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cover 1 or 2 medium sized baking sheets with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on the prepared sheets. Sprinkle evenly with about 1 tsp salt and several grinds of pepper. Roast until the tomatoes are soft, but still hold their shape. About 30 minutes.
In a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil, careful not to heat it too much. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the onion releases its juices, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes and any juices collected from the pans. Pour in 1 cup water. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are very soft, about 25 minutes.
Remove from the heat and, working in batches, pass the soup through a food mill fitted with the medium disk placed over a bowl. Alternatively, pass through a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl, pressing it with the back of a wooden spoon. If you don't have either of these, you can also blend it in batches in either a blender or food processor.
Return the soup to the pan. Stir in salt and pepper to taste and reheat over medium heat. Once you are ready to serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and garnish with fresh parsley.

Recipe from: Williams-Sonoma, Essentials of Healthful Cooking

Back In Business!

Hello Everyone!
Due to some major technical computer issues, I have not been able to post for a LONG time! However, the problem has been solved, and now I am looking forward to many, many more posts to come. In the mean time, I have not slowed down on cooking and baking. I have made countless dinners and desserts that there is almost no hope for catching up on posts for, including cupcakes, biscotti, salads, ciabatta bread, and many healthy dinners incorporating quinoa, a hearty, vegetarian protein. I will make them again, and I will post them when I do. In the meantime, eat well, have fun, and I look forward to the next post!

Carrie.