With the kids home for the summer, I have not been updating the blog as much as I want to but still continue to pick up fresh, bright-looking produce and stock my fridge waiting for time to appear and inspiration to strike. Yesterday, I looked in and noticed plump, petite Italian eggplant I had picked up a couple of days earlier. There were also some fresh tomatoes and yogurt. I seem to have a proclivity for nightshade vegetables, the name of which I learned when I read that Tom Brady and Giselle Bundchen don’t eat them, due to their potential inflammatory effect. However, like every other dietary allergy, dairy, gluten, I tend to believe (hope!) that it is on an individual, tried-tested or doctor-verified basis. I love them- potato, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers, cayenne, tobacco among a few, who could not! I have not personally noticed any discomfort and so happily continue to enjoy them. I decided to make a simple dip, easy to enjoy as an appetizer or a side dish.

Ingredients:
2 Italian eggplants, sliced into rounds
1 large tomato, sliced into rounds also
1 chili pepper
1 cup yogurt
1 lemon
Extra virgin olive oil
Himalayan pink salt
ground black pepper
dried oregano
paprika
cayenne

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Arrange tomato and eggplant on an ovenproof dish and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, oregano, and cayenne.
3. Pop into the oven for 35-40 mins, turning them over midway.
4. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, lemon juice, EVOO and a generous sprinkling of salt and whisk together until smooth.
5. Blister the green chili over an open flame, allow cooling and slice.
6. Combine the ingredients. In the bowl of yogurt, layer the green chili, the eggplant, and tomato mixture and sprinkle with paprika. To serve, spoon out the vegetables making sure to get a dollop of the yogurt and eat with pita points, crusty bread or Fragrant Three Spice Rice.