Crostini With Eggplant And Pine Nut Purée

Name: Crostini With Eggplant And Pine Nut Purée
Total time: 30 min
Yield: At least 18 crostini
Ingredients: 1 pound eggplant; Olive oil; 1/3 cup pine nuts; 1 to 2 cloves garlic, peeled; Sea salt; Fresh lemon juice to taste; Freshly ground pepper; 1 tablespoon chopped mint; 2 tablespoons chopped parsley; 2 tablespoons chopped basil; Toasted baguette slices, or crackers; Whole basil leaves for garnish

Recipe from "Local Flavors"

Adapted by Regina Schrambling

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 5(5)
Comments: Read comments

Featured in: BY THE BOOK; A Chef Beats the Drum, Loudly, for Farmers' Markets

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Ingredients

Yield:At least 18 crostini

1pound eggplant
Olive oil
⅓cup pine nuts
1 to 2cloves garlic, peeled
Sea salt
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1tablespoon chopped mint
2tablespoons chopped parsley
2tablespoons chopped basil
Toasted baguette slices, or crackers
Whole basil leaves for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Heat broiler. Peel, and trim eggplant, and slice into rounds about ½ inch thick. Lightly brush both sides of each slice with oil, arrange on a sheet pan, and broil about 6 inches from heat until golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Turn, and brown the second side. Remove from broiler, and stack slices so they steam to finish cooking.
Step 2
Toast pine nuts in a small skillet over low heat, shaking often, until golden. Cool. Using a large mortar and pestle, grind pine nuts with garlic and ½ teaspoon salt until smooth. Coarsely chop eggplant, add to mixture, and work into a somewhat rough purée with the pestle or in a food processor. Add a little lemon juice to sharpen the flavor. Taste for salt; add more if needed, and season with pepper. Stir in herbs. Spread on baguette slices or crackers, and garnish with a basil leaf.