If I could pick one food to have a fairytale romance with, it would be goat cheese. It is just that good. It can be sweet, it can be savory. It can be used in desserts. It can go on salad, or even on a steak. It is so versatile! This dish combines the salty creaminess of the goat cheese with the tang of tomatoes and the baked goodness of eggplant. There is even a link to a recipe for dairy-free goat cheese.
And the Winner is…. Eggplant!
Eggplant gets underrepresented. If there was a vegetable pageant, eggplant wouldn’t even make it past the audition. It is that mild that it really is just a medium for other ingredients. Personally, I didn’t know it existed until I was in my 30’s. My first introduction to it was the Mediterranean dip, baba ganoush. Then there was a dish where you put all kinds of cheese over cubes of eggplant and moussaka. Loving all those dishes, I am now drawn to any dish that includes eggplant.
My Boyfriend “Joe”
I’m teased that I’m constantly with my boyfriend, Joe. Either Trader Joe or Papa Joe. Those are the specialty grocery stores in our area and I am constantly grocery shopping. A version of this dish was in the prepared food case at Papa Joe’s. I couldn’t wait to get it home and heat it up. I was not disappointed and I’m confident you won’t be either.
It’s Super Simple
So simple to prepare and in the oven an hour. It’s a beautiful side dish for company or even as a vegetarian main dish. I used the sweeter, vanilla-honey goat cheese from Trader Joe’s but the regular is great too. Some chopped tomatoes, a sprinkle of basil and pine nuts and voila! an addiction worth having.
Tummy Tamer
Some people who have sensitivities to dairy can tolerate goat cheese but If you are like me, and too much dairy gives you a stomach ache, I found a dairy-free, goat cheese recipe. It looks easy to make but I haven’t tried it yet so if you do, let me know how it goes. You can find the recipe here. Or here is a mix that makes it even easier. If you don’t know what food sensitivities you have, make an appointment with me here and discover what may be contributing to your ailments.
Suffice it to say that if you like these ingredients independently, you will fall in love with this dish. Download the Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, and Pine Nuts recipe here.
Dr. Stacey