Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Fresh Herb Panzanella Salad

A few weeks ago, Amy at A Healthy Life for Me made a roasted eggplant and tomato salad and it literally made me want to jump right into her blog and try a bite! It totally inspired me to make this dish.

Our garden is bursting at the seams with tomatoes, herbs and eggplant!  You could omit the bread from the recipe for a lighter version but why on earth would you do that?  The toasted bread just soaks up the fresh tomato juice and makes this salad that much more over the top.

This salad is the epitome of summer and probably one of my new favorite dishes.  Each bite just oozes summertime garden freshness

(on a side note, this is the last you will see of our arugula.  Our lawn guy brought a new guy with him last week to weed wack and he aniahlated our arugula patch.  I was on the verge of tears when I found out.  Who am I kidding, tears were actually shed.  I loved that arugula... so much!)

Roasted Eggplant, Tomato and Fresh Herb Panzanella Salad
preheat oven to 450 degrees
2 eggplants, cubed
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
5 tomatoes, chopped into large pieces
1 french baguette, cubed
2 T. olive oil
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 c. toasted pine nuts
10 fresh basil leaves
1 sprig of thyme
1/4 c. fresh arugula
handful of fresh chives
1/3 c. ricotta salata, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Place chopped eggplant on a cookie sheet lined with either foil or a silpat.  Drizzle with with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Reduce oven to 375 degrees

Chop the bread up, place on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Once oven has cooled, place bread in and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Remove bread from oven and cool.  Transfer into a large serving bowl.  On the same cookie sheet, scatter pine nuts.  Bake in the 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes and throw them in the bowl with the eggplant and bread.  Chop up the basil, thyme, arugula and chives.  Add herbs to the bowl along with pine nuts and crumbled ricotta salata.  Toss gently and season with salt and pepper to taste.