Grilled Eggplant Panzanella

This is a rich dish, luscious and aromatic. It take a little bit of time to sear all of the slices, but it is worth it.

I added baguette but you can omit this, you could also add mozzarella.

Have this with pasta, or a side dish, or all on its own. 

• 1 Streamside eggplant sliced across the width into 1 cm thick slices
• Neutral frying oil, like sunflower, or olive oil.
• I bulb of garlic, cut into thin slices
• 3 Streamside tomatoes sliced across the width into 1 cm thick slices
• 2 Streamside courgette sliced across the width into 1 cm thick slices
• Not pictured- optional fresh basil
• Half a baguette or stale bread slices into croutons
• I large lemon, zested and juiced
• Chilli flakes, 2 pinches
• Some dried oregano flakes

1. Turn on the grill on your oven with the rack placed high in the oven.
2. Season vege slices with salt.
3. Choose a pan that you can place entirely in your oven. Heat the pan on just shy of the highest setting, wait until hot, then pour in as much neutral oil for frying the eggplant as you need to hear it sizzle. Have a sieve in a bowl ready nearby.
4. Fry on one side until dark brown, not black. Flip. Then fry on the other side. 
5. When cooked, place in the sieve to catch the excess oil to reuse in the pan.
6. Cook the courgette the same way. Drain the oil from the courgette.
7. Turn the pan down low, wait for the heat to lower. Fry the garlic slices a minute.
8. Toss the bread in the garlic oil, pour in any excess liquid caught in the bowl from the draining vegetables.
9. Add tomatoes and toss gently, add oregano and chilli flakes, then add the courgette and eggplant back into the pan. Add  lemon zest and juice, toss, and grill for 20 mins.
10. Rip the basil leaves and toss over the dish, or whatever herbs you have on hand. Enjoy!