Name: Eggplant with buckwheat and tomato sauce
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: serves 4 people
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 60 g whole grain buckwheat groats; 4 large tomatoes; 500 g tomato passata (sauce); 1/2 tsp oregano (dried or fresh); 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 large eggplants; 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar; 1/2 tsp harissa (optional); 1 handful of chopped parsley; 1 chopped clove of garlic; 1 tsp tahini (optional); 20 g feta cheese; 40 g breadcrumbs (gluten free if you are intolerant); 20 g freshly grated parmesan cheese; 100 g greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

Eggplant with buckwheat and tomato sauce

“Oh myyyyy, this is definitely the best vegetarian summer dish I have ever made or tried” is something you rarely and I mean rarely = never hear from Jernej, so once he throws such a statement out, you take it seriously. I quickly became intrigued by this beautiful eggplant dish and couldn’t wait to dig in. The smell on its own was fantastic, but the taste, the taste you guys was something truly incredible. I must agree with Jernej, this is one of my all-time favorite summer vegetarian dishes too. The complexity of the flavors, yet the simplicity of this dish blows me away. We have a light, naturally sweet tomato sauce, made from scratch, lightly “burnt” eggplant, filled with robust buckwheat, fresh feta, and herbs. But we are not done yet, no-no. To top it off, we added a generous amount of breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese, to create a beautiful, crumbled top. So so so good, fresh, delicious and healthy too. (more about the complexity of flavor can be read in the photos section of this blog post :)). As you can see and read, we are truly excited about this dish and we usually wouldn’t say this, but if you decide to make this recipe, please, make all the steps, because it’s just so good, that you really won’t regret going the extra mile, like burning the eggplants or adding the crumbled top. This dish is also perfect for a gluten-free diet - just make sure to use gluten-free breadcrumbs. I hope you guys will love it as much as we do. We would also love to hear your thoughts, what are some of your favorite eggplant summer dishes? Comment bellow and have a beautiful, delicious day. Definitely the best vegetarian summer eggplant dish we have ever made.

So why is this dish so special? We have an amazing superfood: buckwheat (which in my honest opinion we don't eat enough - it's pretty common here in Slovenia). We also have eggplants (auburgine) that grow on our own garden currently, so that's exciting. It's super important to burn these beautiful eggplants. It might sound strange if you are not familiar with this technique, but trust me, it's the best. The aroma and the texture you get is fabulous. The skin of the burnt eggplant gets peeled, so there won't be that unwanted burnt texture.

It's also impossible to resist this wonderful, naturally sweet tomato sauce, that's baked twice, which results in a delicious, rich flavor.

Cut each eggplant lenghtwise, then stuff with the buckwheat, feta cheese, garlic and parsley mixture. To make it even more exciting, add a generous amount of the breadcrumb and parmesan mixture - this will bring it to a whole other level of deliciousness.

In reality this dish is complex, yet simple. Easy to make, yet incredibly full of flavor, colorful and healthy too. Serve it with greek yogurt, to add a lovely contrast and freshness to this dish. We truly hope you will love it as much as we do.

Ingredients

Eggplant with buckwheat, feta cheese and tomato sauce

60 g whole grain buckwheat groats

4 large tomatoes

500 g tomato passata (sauce)

1/2 tsp oregano (dried or fresh)

2 tbsp olive oil

4 large eggplants

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp harissa (optional)

1 handful of chopped parsley

1 chopped clove of garlic

1 tsp tahini (optional)

20 g feta cheese

40 g breadcrumbs (gluten free if you are intolerant)

20 g freshly grated parmesan cheese

100 g greek yogurt (or plain yogurt)

Tools and equipment

chopping board

kitchen knife

baking dish (approx. 20 x 30 cm / 8 x 12-inch)

aluminum foil

bowl

METHOD

Buckwheat

Add buckwheat to a large bowl, pour in some water, just so that it covers the buckwheat and leave overnight. If you don't have the time, then place the buckwheat into a pot and cook for about 5 minutes in salted boiling water. Drain and set aside.
Tomato sauce

Cut the tomatoes into smaller chunks. Place into a baking dish (approx. 20 x 30 cm / 8 x 12-inch). Add the tomato passata, season with salt, pepper, oregano and a tablespoon of olive oil, stir to combine. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes at 210°C / 410°F.
Eggplant

Prick the eggplant several times with a fork. Then you can 1) hold it with tongs directly over the grill flames and cook it for about 10 minutes, turning regularly or 2) cook it for about 10 minutes outside on a barbecue. You want to cook the eggplant until it is totally black on the outside, burnt. Wrap in plastic wrap, set aside for about 5 - 10 minutes for the skin to get loose, then peel it with your hands.
Buckwheat mixture

Place the buckwheat to a large bowl. Add the balsamic vinegar, 1/4 tsp of harissa (optional, but highly recommend it), chopped parsley, olive oil, chopped garlic, tahini (optional, but highly recommend it) and shredded feta. Stir to combine, season with salt and pepper.
Fill each eggplant

Remove the tomato sauce from the oven and carefully place each (whole) eggplant on top of the sauce. Using a sharp knife, cut the eggplant lengthways, but make sure not no cut it all the way through. Fill each eggplant with a generous amount of the buckwheat mixture.
Bake

In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and one tablespoon of olive oil. Generously sprinkle over the stuffed eggplants. Place in the oven and bake (broil) for about 10 minutes at 210°C / 410°F.
Serve

In a small bowl combine Greek yogurt, 1/4 tsp of harissa (optionally). Serve eggplant with buckwheat, feta cheese and tomato sauce with a generous dollop of Greek yogurt and sprinkle with some fresh, chopped parsley. Enjoy.