Summer Entertaining Made Easy
The season every hostess longs for is finally here: Summer Entertaining Season. But along with the many hostess woes (What should I wear? Will the weather be good? What date works for everyone?) comes the most difficult questions of all: what should I make? Luckily, I have a recipe that will put the pickiest hostess at ease.
This recipe for Smoky stuffed eggplant with Mozzarella and Feta contains the best elements of summer in one self-contained bowl. Healthy vegetables? Check. Garden-fresh herbs? Check. All-natural Canadian cheese? Check. Now that you know what to make, you can enjoy the fabulous weather and company of friends.
Some great summer wine to wash down this delicious main is the always-popular Riesling Icewine from John Howard Cellars of Distinction in Niagara, Ontario. It is generously sweet, with tangy lemon zest on the finish. Another great summer choice is Woodbridge by Robert Mondavi Moscato. An affordable, medium dry wine from South Eastern Australia, it’s sure to please your white-wine loving guests. And now for the next most important question: who are you going to invite?
Smoky stuffed eggplant with Mozzarella and Feta
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized eggplants
1 tbsp (15 ml) butter
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) tomato sauce
2 tomatoes, seeded and crushed
4 tbsp (60 ml) fresh herbs, your choice (oregano, basil or rosemary)
Pepper
1½ cups (375 ml) Canadian Mozzarella, grated
1/3 cup (80 ml) Canadian Feta, crumbled
Preparation:
Cut eggplants in half and empty insides; reserve the flesh and keep eggplant halves to use as bowls. Chop up eggplant flesh.
In a skillet, melt butter on medium heat and brown the onion, garlic and eggplant flesh for 5 minutes.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
Remove eggplant mixture from heat, add tomato sauce, tomatoes and herbs. Season.
Spoon mixture into emptied eggplant halves with alternating layers of mixture and cheeses. Finish with a final layer of the two cheeses. Place eggplant halves directly onto grill and cook gently for 10–12 minutes.
Cheese alternatives: Canadian Provolone, Monterey Jack, Gouda.
You’ll find more wine and cheese pairings here as well as in the wine matcher.
You also might enjoy this Google + video wine and cheese tasting via social media.
