Appetizers

The same way bell peppers char nicely on a grill, the skin on eggplant does, too; grilling makes the skin easy to remove. Don’t light a grill specially for this because you can also char the eggplant under a broiler or over a gas burner. This dip mixes the coarsely chopped flesh of the eggplant with garlic (try using a Microplane grater to chop the cloves), parsley, olive oil, vinegar, and crushed red pepper. If you do light the grill, place the eggplant over the hottest spot. Serve the spread at room temperature, accompanied by crackers, breadsticks, or a crusty loaf.

If you have native tomatoes, slice them and set on thick slices of grilled, crusty bread. Top with the eggplant-chevre mixture. 

Best served at room temperature or lightly chilled, eggplant purees can fill many roles -- appetizer dip for toasted pita or fresh vegetables, anchor of a meze platter, relish to dress up simply cooked meat or fish, or hearty vegetable side dish.

Best served at room temperature or lightly chilled, eggplant purees can fill many roles -- appetizer dip for toasted pita or fresh vegetables, anchor of a meze platter, relish to dress up simply cooked meat or fish, or hearty vegetable side dish.

The cuisines of most Mediterranean and Middle East countries include some type of eggplant salad. The purple orb is usually grilled or roasted, mashed or pureed, and seasoned with olive oil and lemon, at a minimum. In this most basic form, the dish is often called “peasant caviar,” presumably because after grilling or roasting, this pedestrian vegetable assumes a rich, lush -- patrician, if you will -- texture.

Best served at room temperature or lightly chilled, eggplant purees can fill many roles -- appetizer dip for toasted pita or fresh vegetables, anchor of a meze platter, relish to dress up simply cooked meat or fish, or hearty vegetable side dish. 

Pita rounds spring to life after just a couple of minutes on a hot grill: The dimpled surfaces of the flatbread crisp up in a nice contrast with their soft interiors (be sure to buy the pocketless kind of pita, which is fluffier than pita that is meant to be split and stuffed). A shake of crunchy kosher salt and a brush of garlicky olive oil flecked with oregano knocks them out of the park.

Use a light hand when seasoning with kosher salt, as the cheese itself is rather salty. Cooling the quesadillas before cutting and serving is important; straight from the skillet, the cheese is molten and will ooze out. We advise against using sharp or aged cheddar cheese in this recipe, as both tend to separate and turn greasy. Serve the quesadillas with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream. Finished quesadillas can be held on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven for up to 20 minutes.

This lighter take on the classic recipe will be gobbled up as quickly as the original—and is still best served with applesauce and sour cream.

Haute ham and eggs! These appetizers are protein-rich, and cutting out the crust makes them incredibly low-cal.