Grilled Eggplant Roulade with Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Roasted Red Pepper, Sweet Basil and St. George Cheese
Serve with Kendall-Jackson Highland Estates Taylor Peak Merlot

Heirloom Black Bell eggplants are sliced thin, brushed with garlic olive oil and grilled. We then layer our roulade with roasted sweet Italian heirloom peppers, sun dried tomato pesto, sweet basil leaves and Matos Family St. George cheese. The combination of the concentrated flavors and smokiness of the vegetables with the aged cheese pairs well with the rich tannins and complexity of the Highland Estates Taylor Peak Merlot.

Recipe by Chef Andrei Litvinenko

Makes 2 12-inch Roulades

Ingredients:

1 each medium eggplant (use your favorite variety)
3 each sweet red peppers
2 cloves garlic
¼ C. extra virgin olive oil
¼ C. St. George cheese, grated (substitute parmesan if not available)
2 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes
1 Tbsp. toasted pine nuts
1 bunch fresh sweet basil
To taste kosher salt

Preparation:

1. Peel and slice eggplant lengthwise into 1/8 inch pieces (a mandolin works well for this).
2. In a small sauté pan combine olive oil and garlic and slowly cook over low heat to infuse oil with garlic. Do not burn garlic. Remove from heat and reserve.
3. Brush eggplant slices with garlic oil, season with salt and grill on both sides until tender.
4. Brush peppers with garlic oil, season with salt and roast at 350 deg for ten minutes. Remove peppers from oven and place in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. When peppers have cooled, peel and deseed them, then cut into strips ¼ inch wide.
5. To make the sun dried tomato pesto combine the sun dried tomatoes, cheese, pine nuts, ½ bunch basil and remaining garlic oil. Place into a food processor and blend thoroughly.
6. To assemble roulade, place a 18 inch piece of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Arrange eggplant slices, overlapping them, into a rectangle 6 inches by 12 inches. Spread a thin laver of pesto in the middle of the eggplant. Place pepper slices on top, down the middle. Arrange basil leaves on top. Carefully roll the plastic around the roulade. Twist ends to tighten. Chill for 1 hour, then slice into 2 inch pieces on the bias.

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