Escalivada

Escalivada is a wonderful dish that is found everywhere here from working man's granjas to super upscale eateries. It as easy as falling off a log to prepare.

Take a few unpeeled onions, a couple of big red peppers and eggplants.

Stick them on a baking sheet in pre-heated medium highish oven.

Let the pepper's skin blacken. Turn the peppers and the eggplants.

Let everything bake. When they be soft they be done.

Remove from oven and place them is a paper bag. Close the bag and let cool.

Peel the peppers. Just sort of strip off the blackened skin. Cut in half and carefully remove the seeds. Cut into more or less inch wide strips.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise. Peel off skin. Cut into 3/4 inch wide long strips.

Peel the onions. Cut into 1 and half inch wide strips.

The cutting is not that critical. You should wind up with sort of similar size strips.

Put in a container and refrigerate. To serve get rid of excess liquid and arrange on a plate. Add a little bit of balsamic vinager and maybe some salt.

Escalivada makes a super open face sandwich (a torrada in Catalan, tostada in Castillano-hey all it means is toast!). Toast some good sliced bread. Drizzle on some olive oil. A little bit of salt. Put the escalivada on top. And if you toss a few nice anchovies and couple of pitted green olives on top of that, and oh man... Cielo! I think I better go make one. If one was into gilding the proverbial lily one could use pan amb tomaquet as a base. Mind your cebollas and aberginas and I might just show you how.