Chef notes
A colorful salad that's a mix of different vegetables hits the spot on a steaming summer evening.
Technique tip: Roasting your vegetables in the oven while simultaneously cooking the potatoes over the stove will cut your cooking time in half and give you vegetables cooked two ways.
Swap option: Feel free to use any vegetables you like, and skip the eggplant if it's just too hot to turn on the oven.
Ingredients
- 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more as needed
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- Black pepper, as needed
- 3/4 pound small new potatoes
- 4 ounces string beans, trimmed
- 1 ear corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, more to taste
- 1 large clove garlic
- 3 kirby cucumbers, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- Coarse sea salt, as needed
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Preparation
1.Heat the oven to 400°F. On a large, rimmed baking sheet, toss the eggplant with 3 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Spread the cubes out in one layer and roast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water. Place the pot over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Drop in the string beans and corn for the last two minutes of cooking. Drain the vegetables and let cool. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks (if large) and cut the corn kernels off of the cob.
3.In a blender, combine a pinch of salt, the capers, remaining 4 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and garlic. Puree until smooth. Taste and add more salt and/or lemon juice if needed.
4.Arrange the vegetables, including cucumber and tomatoes, on a large platter. Drizzle very generously with dressing. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, garnish with basil leaves and serve.
