This salad created by chef Mike Russell at Vespa in Federal Hill runs most of the ingredients over the coals.
For the vinaigrette:
12 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into halves
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
For the salad’s marinade:
3 shallots, coarsely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh herbs, including equal parts cilantro, basil, Italian parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon of mild curry powder
For the ratatouille:
1 large eggplant, cut in long strips (see below)
2 green and 2 yellow small zucchini squashes, cut into large pieces
8 to 10 baby squashes, whole
olive oil
salt and pepper
To make the vinaigrette, quickly grill the plum tomatoes, having brushed the rack with oil to prevent sticking. Grill until well-charred. Remove and cool. Place cooled tomatoes in a blender with a little olive oil and process until pureed smooth. Finish off by adding the remaining olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and blending until well mixed.
Sprinkle eggplant slices generously with salt. Place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels and allow to drain for about 40 minutes to remove bitterness. Rinse off excess salt and pat dry.
Prepare the vegetable marinade by combining all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the cut eggplant, zucchini and baby squashes.
Marinate for 30 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the marinade bowl, and place on a hot grill. Moving the vegetables occasionally with tongs, cook until the skins start to sear and the heart is tender.
When the vegetables are done, move them to a large mixing bowl to cool. Once cool they can be cut into bite-sized pieces. A little of the leftover marinade could be used to moisten the vegetables.
Toss greens such as radicchio, endive and romaine with a bit of the grilled tomato vinaigrette, then cover with the ratatouille. Drizzle on the remaining vinaigrette and serve warm. Serves 4-6.
