Turns out I don’t hate eggplant. I have been avoiding this funky purple fruit (yes, it’s a fruit – I looked it up!) because the few times I had eaten it, it was soggy, covered in greasy cheese and tomato sauce, and had the worst…texture…ever. But, in the spirit of trying new things, I came across the recipe below in Real Simple and since it was just basically inserting eggplant into something I already liked, I thought I’d give it a go. I’m so glad I did, because these little melts are delicious and now I’ve got a new food to experiment with. Who knew, Annie + Eggplant = <3

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook/Grill Time: 15 Minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients
Canola oil for the grill
4 large slices of 1-inch thick crusty bread like sourdough
2 medium eggplants, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
salt & pepper
12 oz mozzarella cut into 8 slices
2 large sliced tomatoes
1 cup fresh basil

Heat the grill to medium, then oil the grate with the conola oil. Brush the eggplant and bread with the olive oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Grill the bread until it’s browned, about 1-2 minutes per side. Cut each slice in half crosswise. Grill the eggplant slices, turning occasionally until tender, 6-8 minutes.

Then place the mozzarella on top of the bread and grill, covered, just until warm and beginning to melt. Then top with the eggplant, tomato and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. That’s it! Super easy, and I think these little melts would be a hit at a party. And since tomatoes and eggplant are currently in season, now is the best time to give these a go!