Eggplant Towers with Tomatoes and Zucchini

Ingredients

• 2 Eggplants
• Salt
• 2 zucchinis
• 400 g Tomatoes
• 2 sprigs Basil
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 7 tbsp olive oil
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 250 g mozzarella (two 125‑g balls; lactose‑free if needed)
• 50 g parmesan shavings

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash, trim and slice the eggplants. Salt them and let sit for about 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. Trim and wash the zucchinis, cutting them diagonally into slices. Remove the stems from the tomatoes, briefly blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds, cool under cold running water, peel, and chop the flesh.

2. 2.

   Wash the basil, shake dry, and cut the leaves into strips. Wash the rosemary and pluck the tiny leaves off the stem.

3. 3.

   Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pot and simmer the tomatoes with the basil for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Heat three tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the eggplant slices for roughly four minutes on each side, seasoning with pepper.

4. 4.

   Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and cook the zucchini slices for about five minutes, turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, then drain on paper towels.

5. 5.

   Slice the mozzarella. Alternate layers of eggplant, mozzarella, zucchini, and tomatoes to build towers, sprinkling a little rosemary over each mozzarella layer. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 °C (180 °C fan‑forced; gas mark 3) for about fifteen minutes until gratinated. Top with parmesan shavings.