Eggplant & Tomato Salad

Happy Labor Day! Days off from work I like to either be super productive and clean the house, make tons of yummy food, and bake a complicated dessert or I'll be lazy and do absolutely nothing - it's never something in between. This is a recipe that follows the latter attitude.

I love eggplants but I hate tomatoes. Luckily, we had some eggplant in the house but unluckily, we also had tomatoes that needed to be used up before they went bad. This was a spur of the moment dish so I don't have a photo diary of the process but it's easy enough that unless you're really that terrible in the kitchen, it won't be hard to put the missing pieces together in your brain.

Ingredients:

1 baby eggplant, diced (small eggplants have less seeds and are more tender)

2 cups sliced/diced tomatoes (whatever you got - I used grape)

10 basil leaves, cut into ribbons (chiffonade, remember?)

1 tablespoon olive oil + drizzle

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

pinch of salt

sprinkle of pepper

Start by sauteing the diced eggplant in a pan with olive oil. Cook until each piece is tender and they get a bit browned.

In a bowl, add diced tomatoes and basil...

... and then the cooked eggplant.

Add another drizzle of olive oil, the balsamic vinegar, and salt & pepper to taste. Toss and enjoy.
You know, it also wouldn't be a terrible idea to toss this with some pasta.
Also, I apologize for the lighting in this photo. YEESH. It's v. yellow and harsh. I'll try better next time; I promise.