Eggplant & Mixed Peppers Provencale
This evening's supper was more of a snack than a meal... but that's ok, isn't it? After all, we aren't always in the need for a lot of food, or we don't always want to cook for hours on end... and we don't always feel obliged to sit at the dining table and make a great fuss, just because we feel like a bit to eat...
...and those are the times that this kind of thing is just right!
I just improvised this simple little snack- not quite a ratatouille or a caponata, but still a tasty and satisfying little dish made purely from eggplant, peppers, onion and assorted herbs.
And yes- serving it up in a miniature Bundt (or Gugelhupf) cake form was a spot of inspired genius, you are completely correct! ;-)
1 small eggplant, 2 small red pointed peppers, 10 miniature green peppers (mild), 1 Spring onion and assorted herbs were all that went into this- but what more do you need when things already taste good?
Combined with a mixture of nearly every herb that I had at home, the resulting flavor of the sage, rosemary, thyme, fennel greens, oregano, marjoram and parsley was totally delicious and very reminiscent of the meals I have always enjoyed in the Provence and the South of France.
Of course I could have just simply served it up in a little bowl and have done with... but turning the little bowl upside-down made all the difference- haha!
Nothing can be easier than simply chopping everything up in a small dice- I like that! Sprinkle the eggplant with salt and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes before starting to cook, in the usual manner- this will ensure that the eggplant tastes nice and mild and not bitter.
A nice mix of herbs, just waiting to also be chopped up as finely as possible...
Simply fry the eggplant, peppers and onion for 4-5 minutes and season with just a little salt, plenty of pepper, a little cayenne, a pinch of sugar and a little olive oil.
After 5 minutes, add a splash of water, stir together well, pop on the lid and allow to cook on a lower setting for a further 5 minutes.
after 10 minutes of cooking, the eggplant and peppers should be quite soft and the water will have evaporated away. At this point add all of the mixed herbs, a squeeze of lemon, another pinch of sugar and a last drizzle of olive oil and you should be good to go!
Of course it makes absolutely no difference at all... but I had such fun serving mine up in a little cake form! Simply press it down nice and firmly, place your serving dish upside-down on top, now turn both right side-up and remove the cake form- simple! But yes- much prettier and more fun this way!
I
simply ate and enjoyed mine with a couple of toasted rolls, but this
would also make a great antipasto or a nice Summer side-dish. It also
tastes just as good whether eaten hot or cold, which is a nice thing...
especially with our super- changeable weather here!
You really don't need any more than this for a nice, simple meal! Hope you like it! Go ahead and enjoy!
What a temptation! But don't fight it... bite it!
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