Grilled Goat Cheese and Eggplant Salad

"Eggplant is the most sexy food women can have" says Yogi Bhajan in Food as Medicine. What in the world does that mean? I remember reading a email saying eggplant is good for women because it resembles female womb. Hmmm.....To be more precise, and less woo-hoo, I turned to Google.

The above mentioned may have its root in traditional medicine, where eggplant is commonly used to improve kidney function and sexual libido in both men and women. Besides regulating body fluid, Traditional Chinese Herbalists believe kidney also plays an important role in sexual desire and activity in both men and women. An unbalance yin and yang energy in kidney would thus cause overactive or abnormal functioning of the urinary secretion and sexual function.

I have always loved eggplant. However, it's not the case for Adrian - another childhood trauma/ influence from Ian, I presume. So when he proudly proclaimed he was slowly overcoming eggplant phobia, I took the liberty to push his bottom. Hey! At least there's the goat cheese and sun dried tomatoes that he LOVES.

In this recipe, savoury goat cheese is the main protagonist, but it’s aided and abetted by the wonderfully aromatic partnership of basil and thyme as well as the sweet delicacy of sun dried tomatoes. Combined they act as a perfect balance to the slight bitterness of the aubergine creating a medley of flavors. Then comes the real deal: the addition of raspberries to the salad. Its tart sweetness blend and twirl the ingredient's flavors together, giving a "wow" to the unsuspecting taste buds.

I complimented this SEXY (thanks Yogi Bhajan) and tasty salad with a relatively simple Lemon Broccoli Soup.


A side note: I found lettuces at Paragon Gourmet Market that were sold with their roots attached. There were plenty of tiny rocks and black soil sticking to the leaves and stem, too!! How exciting!!

Ingredients for Grilled Goat Cheese

• 1 large eggplant, quatered
  
• 8 sun-dried tomatoes
• 200g French goat’s cheese, sliced into 12
  
• 12 basil leaves, torn
  
• 2 tbsp fresh thyme
  
• salt and pepper

Ingredients for the Salad Dressing

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 50 ml olive oil
• A pinch of sugar

Ingredients for the salad

• 100g of mixed lettuce leaves
• 6 cherry tomatoes halved
• 2 tbsp raspberries

1. Place the eggplant slices on a baking tray and brush with olive oil. Season each slice with ground pepper and salt.
2. Place under a hot grill for 7 minutes. Whilst the eggplant is grilling, whisk the olive oil with the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Season to suit personal tastes then add the mixed lettuce leaves and cherry tomatoes and toss thoroughly to coat. Arrange the salad leaves and cherry tomatoes in the centre of each plate then spoon over the raspberries.
   
4. Turn the eggplant slices over and brush the other side with olive oil and season as before. This time leave them under the grill for 5 minutes until charred.
5. Remove the grilled slices of eggplant and arrange them so that the slightly charred eggplant flesh is facing upwards on all slices.
6. Lay two sun dried tomatoes on each slice along with fresh thyme and basil leaves.
   
7. Place 3 slices of goat cheese on each herb and tomato bed and season with ground pepper.
8. Return to the grill for 2 to 3 minutes until the goat’s cheese has started to brown and bubble.
9. Serve on bed of lettuces