Serves four
2 Japanese eggplants (or whatever eggplant is available at your local farmers market)
1 fresh rapini, cleaned
1 small Long Island Cheese pumpkin (another pumpkin or butternut squash will do)
1 Spanish onion, diced
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp. Muscovado sugar
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. ground curry powder
good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. Pedro Jimenez sherry vinegar
Sweat onions, ginger and pumpkin in a covered pot or casserole on medium-high heat. Season with salt and pepper.
After five minutes, add the spices and sweat another 10 minutes until the pumpkin is soft.
Add muscovado sugar and continue cooking another 5 minutes. Add water to cover, bring to a simmer for another five minutes.
Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.
Cut eggplant on a bias into slices 1/2 inch thick.
Toss in a bowl with extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper.
Light the grill 30 minutes before you plan to start cooking.
Grill until well-colored and cooked through.
Toss rapini in the same bowl and grill until crispy and slightly charred.
Serve the eggplant, rapini and pumpkin puree together on a plate. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and eat with some grilled country toast.
—Recipe courtesy Tony Maws
