Eggplant Bruchetta Baby

After work today I took a trip to a local farm stand where they had some really amazing looking eggplants.  Im not a huge fan of the purple plant (unless breaded, deep fried, and smothered in cheese) so I wanted to try something a little different.  I had on hand at home some beautiful plum tomatoes (from my garden), a block of feta and some other odds and ends.  Mind you, my eggplant is from a garden, so it's not the kind on steroids you'd buy from the supermarket.  It's fairly small.   This is what I came up with....

Eggplant Bruchetta

1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 medium eggplant sliced into 3/4 inch rounds

1 oz of feta cheese

3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced

1 clove of garlic, diced

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Coat a large baking sheet with the olive oil.  Arrange eggplant rounds in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 15 to 20 minutes.  Carefully flip each round.  The undersides should be dark with a charred appearance.  

Once flipped, sprinkle them with more salt and pepper and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes, until the tops match the bottoms.

Meanwhile,  mix up the remaining ingredients.  Taste for seasoning.  The feta is pretty salty, so I didn't add anymore, but a little extra ground pepper is good.  Add vinegar to taste. 

When eggplant rounds are done, arrange them on a serving platter.  Scoop a spoonful of the salad over each round.  Enjoy immediately!