Recipe - Grilled Vegetable Platter

Vegetable oil or nonstick
vegetable oil spray
16 small Leeks; trimmed of leaves and
all but 1 inch of green
tops
One half teaspoon Kosher salt; plus more to
taste
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste
2 Eggplants; each about 1
pound
4 Red bell peppers
1 small Clove garlic; peeled
1 tablespoon Each: fresh lemon juice;
extravirgin olive oil,
chopped fresh parsley
Romesco sauce; see recipe

Chicago Tribune

Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 2025 minutes Standing time: 20
minutes Yield: 8 servings

1. Prepare grill (or heat oven to 450 degrees). Lightly oil two
24inchlong sheets of aluminum foil or coat with nonstick vegetable oil
spray, leaving a 2inch border. 2. Starting at stem end of each leek, with
a sharp knife make a lengthwise incision to within about 1 inch of root
end. Make a second incision at right angles to first one. Wash leeks
thoroughly. Pat dry. Place half the leeks on one of the prepared sheets of
aluminum foil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Seal edges of foil
around leeks to form a packet. Repeat with remaining leeks and prepared
foil. Wrap each packet in second sheet of foil. Pierce each eggplant in
several places with a fork. 3. Place leek packets, eggplants and bell
peppers directly on grill. Cover and grill, turning eggplants and bell
peppers frequently with tongs, 20 to 35 minutes: Cook leeks until very
tender and lightly caramelized on bottom (open packages to check); when
done, unwrap packages and let leeks cool. Cook eggplants until skin is
blackened and flesh is very soft. Cook bell peppers until blackened all
over. (Or place leek packets on the middle rack of oven. Set bell peppers
and eggplant on baking sheet and place on lower rack. Roast 20 to 35
minutes.) As eggplant and bell peppers are done, transfer to a baking
sheet; cover with a kitchen towel and set aside for about 20 minutes. 4.
Stem and peel eggplants. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut each half into
quarters. Set aside. Working under running water, slip skins off peppers.
Cut each one lengthwise into quarters, removing cores and seeds. Mash
garlic with One half teaspoon salt using side of chef's knife. Transfer to small
bowl. Whisk in lemon juice and oil. Season dressing with pepper. 5. Arrange
leeks, eggplants and bell peppers on serving platter. Drizzle dressing over
vegetables and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with Romesco sauce. Nutrition
information per serving: Calories ...... 160 Fat ............. 2 g
Cholesterol .. 0 mg Sodium ..... 170 mg Carbohydrates .. 34 g Protein
....... 4 g Posted to TNT Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by
Rrairie@aol.com on Aug 6, 1997