Roasted Vegetable Antipasto alla Vannucci
This is a super easy recipe to dazzle your friends!
What you need:
6 small to medium multi coloured bell peppers – cut into strips (approx, 8 pieces – after you char them)
6 small zucchini – cut into thirds and again in halves (approx. 6 pieces)
4 small purple eggplants – cut in thirds and cut again in halves – (approx. 6 pieces)
2 heads of fennel – cut into thirds and again in halves (approx. 6 pieces)
2 medium-sized red onions – cut into thirds
12-18 4 inch carrots (fancy restaurant kind)
The marinade;
4 cloves of garlic – cut into small pieces
1/3 of a cup of really good extra virgin olive – Berio or A.Genco (might as well try to plug a few good brands that you will find at London Drugs 😛 )
1/4-1/3 of a cup of fresh basil
2 tablespoons of really good balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of dried mustard or 1 teaspoon of dijon
1/4 teaspoon of salt & pepper
To start:
Once you cut the eggplant, place into colander and salt – really, really salt your eggplant well. Keep in colander for about 30 minutes. This will keep the eggplant from going brown and more importantly, take out the moisture. Don’t be cheap on the salt, you will be washing it off anyway.
In the half hour the eggplant is soaking, turn on the BBQ, get it smoking hot.
Char the peppers – all sides.
When the peppers are finished, place them into a paper bag and/or a plate covered in aluminum foil or saran wrap and let sit for half an hour. This will make the peppers easier to peel later.
Now, wash all the salt of your eggplant and start to BBQ them, and the rest of the vegetables, until cooked to your preference; personally, I like to see the grill marks on my vegetables. While cooking I even like to baste the veggies with a little mixture on oil, salt and pepper.
Once done grilling the remaining vegetables, peel your peppers, and place all vegetables in a cooking dish and let marinate in the fridge overnight.
How to make the marinade:
In a small bowl, add in the oil, the vinegar, the basil, the garlic, the salt, the pepper and the mustard. Give it a good stir.
Pour liberally on top of the vegetables, and put in fridge overnight.
To Serve:
The next day, place on a nice dish and serve with a beautiful loaf of french bread and your favourite glass of wine.
Your guests will think you a Cooking Rock Star!
Enjoy!
Ciao for now @kootenayborn
