An easy entertaining recipe using eggplant
September 2, 2016
September 2, 2016
If you are entertaining this weekend, or simply looking for a side dish to add to a main meal these eggplant vegetable stacks should be on your menu. The addition of olive tapenade in a dressing provides a wonderful depth of flavour to the dish.
The ingredients of this meal are clearly not yet in season and that bugs me. I generally (like the plague) avoid buying ingredients that are not in season. These ingredients are Australian grown but are not from my local area. Eight weeks ago I was diagnosed with SIBO, a digestive disorder, and am currently in the midst of my treatment which limits the types and amount of vegetables I can eat. It has been a very strange experience to have to limit vegetables, and to carefully measure those I can eat. In the past I have always added as many veggies as possible to all our family meals, every day. I am still doing this for the kids so they are not missing out.
There are a few vegetables that I can eat in unlimited quantity so they form the basis of all my meals. A few of these include eggplant, capsicum, and tomato – the wonderful summer produce. The main winter vegetables I can eat include bok choy and kale. My mind battled the new restrictions for a week or two and then I succumbed to buying them because the treatment diet is so limited and I was eager to eat something with a flavour I enjoyed.
Yes, I have previously written many posts about the benefits of buying local seasonal food, and a book that covers the topic! I do believe that is the best way to eat and to support your community but when it came down to a health choice, this is the best thing I can do for my body right now to get well, regardless of how strongly I feel about the source of my food. I have managed to find the first of the tomato season from Adelaide and the rest are hydroponic. The eggplant and capsicum are coming from Queensland. My treatment is not forever and I have plans for a larger than usual planting of the vegetables I can eat this season. There will be plenty of them coming from our garden soon enough.
This recipe is would make a lovely lunch, perfect picnic food as the weather warms. I hope you enjoy it. I have added a touch of spring with our home grown rocket and it’s pretty white flowers.
Cut the eggplant rounds about 1.5 cm thick
If you don't have olive tapenade, use finely chopped olives instead
This dish can be prepared in advance and served cold when required.
Have you ever had to change your diet to include food you would not normally eat?
I’m sorry to hear of your digestive difficulties, Kyrstie, and hope they resolve soon.
Don’t beat yourself up about having to source out of season produce – summer is almost here and no-one can live on kale alone!
This looks delicious and something you could really enjoy.