Chickpea Eggplant Salad

In the fall the market is full of purple eggplants and red peppers. And, here in Southern California, it is hot. Too hot to feel like doing much cooking or eating.

So the other day I made this salad for dinner - the eggplant was spicy enough to tempt the appetite, the chickpeas added protein, and the crisp lettuce and fresh mint lightened it up. I adapted the recipe from Sunset's Edible Garden Cookbook, which always inspires me to plant more vegetables, even if I know they will be dug up by raccoons in August.

Chickpea Eggplant Salad
1/3 cup chickpeas (or 14 oz can)
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp hot sauce (sriracha)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium eggplant
2 tbsp olive oil
butter lettuce
12 mint leaves, slivered
1/3 cup diced red onion, rinsed and drained

Cook the chickpeas in plenty of boiling water until tender, about 2 hours. Drain and set aside. (Or drain the canned chickpeas and rinse well.)

Roast the peppers over a gas flame or under the broiler until blackened all over. Put in a covered pot to steam and cool. When cool enough to handle, scrape off the skins with a small sharp knife, cut off the stems, and take out the seeds. Cut the peppers in 1/2 inch dice.

Whisk together a salad dressing of the vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper, hot sauce and 3 tbsp olive oil.

Wash the eggplant, cut off the stalk end, and dice it in 1/2 inch cubes. Warm the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook the eggplant until it begins to color, 10-12 minutes. It will stick a bit to the pan. That's okay, it adds extra flavor. Add the chickpeas, a couple of tablespoons of water, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, 2-3 minutes to blend the flavors.

Stir in the peppers and remove the pan from the heat. Toss the vegetables with half the dressing.

Line a plate with lettuce. Sprinkle it with the mint and red onion. Pile on the chickpea eggplant stew. Serve the extra dressing on the side.

Serves 4

Leftover chickpea eggplant stew is great cold for lunch the next day.