Vegetable Tower

Ingredients


Marinade

  • 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh Thyme
  • 2 lemons, cut in half
  • 4 tablespoons minced Garlic
  • 4 cups extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper

Vegetables

  • 3 semi-ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes, sliced in ½"-thick rings
  • 2 medium Red Onions, sliced into rings
  • 2 large Eggplants, sliced into rings
  • 1 bunch Asparagus, stems cut off
  • 2 large Zucchini, cut lengthwise
  • 8 ounces goat cheese
  • ½ cup Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce (below)
  • ½ cup Basil Oil (below)

Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce

  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar

Basil Oil

  • 1 cup fresh Basil, packed without stems
  • 1/2 cup grape seed oil
  • 12-inch piece of cheesecloth

Instructions


To prepare marinade: Mix all marinade ingredients together, squeezing juice from lemons. Add sliced vegetables and toss until all are coated with oil. Marinate for at least 2 hours at room temperature.


Remove vegetables from marinade and grill until soft but not charred or mushy. Vegetables such as Tomatoes and Zucchini will finish before others, so check throughout grilling; remove cooked pieces.


Drizzle individual oversized plates generously with alternating lines of Basil Oil and Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce on top of the sauce, build four individual towers with Eggplant, Onion, Tomato and Zucchini, in that order, sprinkling crumbled goat cheese between each vegetable layer. Arrange Asparagus in a fan around the base of the tower on the plate, top with more goat cheese crumbles and serve. You can also build the towers on one large serving platter depending on the occasion. Serves 4.


Balsamic Vinegar Reduction Sauce
In a saucepan reduce vinegar over medium heat until it forms a syrup (about 20 minutes). If it coats a spoon, the sauce is done.


Basil Oil
Blanch Basil in boiling water for 10 seconds. Shock in ice water. Pat dry with paper towels. It is important to dry leaves thoroughly; water will make the oil separate. Combine Basil and oil in a blender and blend for 30 seconds. Strain Basil Oil through cheesecloth, do not squeeze.


Rosemary | Thyme | Garlic | Tomatoes | Onions | Eggplants | Asparagus | Zucchini | Basil