Armenian salad of roasted vegetables, a perfect summer garden meal

One of our favorite meals packed with produce from our own garden was inspired by a visit to an Armenian restaurant in Fresno, California. Mom writes:

Amanda and I stopped for lunch at a small family-run Armenian restaurant. The meal was fine. But, what we vividly remember is salad. This was served first. And, I tell you, we would have been happy with a big plate of just this salad. I wanted to lick the dressing off the plate when the veggies were gone. We came home and I closely duplicated what was served that day. I share it now with you. Enjoy!

Find the ingredients and instructions below the jump.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 large eggplant cut in ½ inch cubes

½ pound mushrooms, sliced

2 large, thick fleshed sweet pepper – red or yellow bells are a good choice – cut in ½ inch cubes

2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut in ½ inch cubes

6 large cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup sliced black olives

½ cup finely minced fresh parsley (flat-leafed)

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice (a dash of red wine vinegar if you like more acid)

Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Wash and chop all the fresh produce and herbs.

2. Divide the minced garlic into three portions. One portion for the eggplant, one for the mushrooms and one for the peppers.

3. Keeping your three vegetables separate, toss them with garlic and olive oil.

4. Arrange the veggies on cookie sheets to roast in a 450-degree oven. Keep the vegetables separate, even though two may share a baking sheet. The mushrooms will finish first, the peppers second, and then the eggplant. Be sure the vegetables are only one layer deep in the pan to ensure over-all good roasting.

5. As the vegetables finish, pile them into a large bowl for tossing.

6. Add the tomatoes, parsley, black olives, lemon juice, and toss, toss, toss. You want every piece of vegetable coated with the garlic oil that was created in the roasting process.

7. Salt and pepper to taste.

8. Add lemon juice, olive oil, (and vinegar) a little at a time until your salad is dressed to your satisfaction.

Variations

a. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

b. Use as filling with pita bread.

c. Pack it up for lunch.

Technorati Tags: Armenian, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, summer