This take on a classic Italian dish delivers a big reward for not much effort. It uses just a handful of ingredients, so picking high-quality items will really make this recipe sing. I was inspired by a grilled eggplant caprese I made in a cooking class in Florence, as well as the gorgeous Palisade peach crop in Colorado. I like to serve this as an appetizer or snack for 4-6 people.
You will need:
1 eggplant
2 peaches (I used yellow)
1 fresh tomato
Fresh basil (the small package you can find with the other fresh herbs at the grocery store should be plenty)
1 ball or log of fresh mozzarella (the shredded kind won’t work for this!)
Salt (I recommend coarse sea salt or kosher salt)
Balsamic glaze (if desired)
You can make your own balsamic glaze, too! Pour 1c balsamic vinegar and 1 TB honey into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer about half an hour, until the liquid is reduced by half. Set aside and let cool. The glaze will thicken as it cools down. You’ll know it’s done when it coats the back of a spoon. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can make this glaze a day before the caprese to save time.
Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch-thick slices, starting from the bottom of the vegetable. Generously salt both sides of each slice. I recommend coarse salt for this because it draws more water and seasons the eggplant better. Lay the slices out on a plate, cutting board, or baking sheet. Leave the eggplant at least 30 minutes, but if you have an hour, do that. You’ll see how the eggplant “sweats” out the liquid. Use paper towels to pat the eggplant slices dry. I left mine out for an hour and patted them dry twice.
While the eggplant is sitting out, take the pits out of the peaches and slice 1/4 inch thick. Slice the mozzarella so there is a piece of fresh cheese to go with each slice of peach and eggplant. Slice the tomato so there is one slice for each piece of eggplant.
Next, grill the slices of eggplant and peach on high. The peaches won’t take long, about a minute per side. That minute makes a huge difference, carmelizing the outside and giving you those oh-so-satisfying grill marks. Set the grilled peaches aside while the eggplant cooks. Grill the eggplant 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden brown on the outside.
Time to layer it all up. Grab a plate, platter, or serving board. For the eggplant caprese, start with the eggplant on the bottom, then a slice of tomato. sprinkle a little salt on the tomato, then add the fresh mozzarella and a whole basil leaf. If you are using balsamic glaze, drizzle it on top. Repeat until all of your eggplant & tomato are used.
For the peach caprese, start with the peach slice on the bottom, then fresh mozzarella, then basil. Drizzle the balsamic glaze on top. Enjoy! Let me know in the comments how this recipe went for you, or if you have any questions!
This looks so good! I feel like even I can follow along. I may have to attempt this during the weekend!