Cold-weather vegetarian

To continue the theme of beautiful vegetables, last week I bought some baby eggplants and large cherry tomatoes, which have been almost too beautiful too cook. Before putting them under the knife, I took some still life shots.

Like brussels sprouts, roasted tomatoes and eggplant can be made to feel hearty, satisfying that wintry desire for heavy food, without the meat. I roasted these veggies with garlic: the fragrance filled my apartment, and a taste on the spoon revealed tangy, naturally sweet-and-sour tomatoes that melted and coated the eggplant.

Roasted tomatoes and eggplant:

• several baby or japanese eggplants, sliced in half; or one large eggplant sliced about 1-cm thick
• cherry or regular tomatoes, sliced in half
• several garlic cloves, skins on
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• couscous or pasta
• feta or goat cheese and/or fresh herbs as garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 or 350 degrees. In a large baking dish, toss the eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast 30-45 minutes, tossing occasionally and checking frequently to make sure the tomatoes don't burn. You may want to turn down the heat if you find the tomatoes are cooking faster than the eggplant. 

Serve on top of couscous or tossed with pasta. You may want to add crumbled feta or goat cheese and fresh herbs such as mint, cilantro, or basil for additional flavor.