I was inspired by this Giada De Laurentiis recipe and the shiny Japanese eggplants at my produce market. It would make a nice appetizer, but I turned it into a main dish salad. There really is lettuce underneath all that eggplant, I promise! I used less oil than the original recipe, but this is a simple dish that you could easily make after a day at the beach.

1 1/2 c. green lettuce
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1″ slices, and grilled
1-2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
4-5 leaves fresh basil, chopped
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Black Pepper

Place lettuce in a large bowl. Top with grilled eggplant slices, goat cheese, and fresh basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and add a dash of black pepper.

• Salads