Greek Grilling

#4 Mediterranean Vegetable Medley - Lahanika Yiahni -

2 medium eggplants

2 Vidalia onions

2 red peppers

2 potatoes, cut into chunks

3 zucchini

3 yellow squash

8 oz mushrooms

12 oz baby carrots

8 oz can tomato sauce

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 t. Kosher Salt, Ground Pepper to Taste

1 T. dried oregano

½ cup olive oil

Pierce the eggplants in 5-6 places with a fork. Place on a flat baking sheet and roast the eggplants in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove eggplants from oven and allow to cool/rest for 30 minutes. Trim the tops and the bottoms from the eggplants and cube into 2 X 2 inch sections, leaving the skin intact. Set aside.

Seed the red peppers and cut into 1 inch pieces and coarsely chop the onions. Place them into a large roasting pan and coat with ¼ cup olive oil. Roast at 350 degrees until the onions become translucent and soften, about 15 minutes.

While that is baking, trim the zucchini and squash and cut into 2-inch chunks and cut the potatoes into small to medium chunks. Add the eggplants, squash, potatoes, and baby carrots to the pan with the onions and peppers and drizzle the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil over the mixture. Mix to coat. Return the vegetables to the 350 degree oven for 15 minutes, then add the mushrooms to the mixture. Pour the can of tomato sauce over the mixture and turn to coat, then pour the can of diced tomatoes over the mixture, sprinkle with the salt, oregano and add pepper to taste. Return the mixture to the oven and continue to bake for an additional 2 ¼ to 2 ½ hours. Stir at least twice during cooking. The vegetables are done when the eggplant is soft to a fork. The extra 15 minutes adds a slightly smoky and caramelized complexity to the vegetables. The vegetables go well with grilled meat or they can be served over pasta. Try crumbling a little Feta Cheese over them for an additional twist.