Ingredients

Makes four napoleons

Marinade:

4 T balsamic vinegar

4 T extra virgin olive oil

1 T fresh thyme leaves, chopped

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Vegetables:

1 large eggplant, cut into 8 slices

1 large beef steak tomato, cut into four thick slices

1 yellow bell pepper, core & membrane removed, cut into four planks

1 red bell pepper, core & membrane removed, cut into four planks

1 large red onion, cut into four thick slices

Filling:

2 T olive oil

2 tsp. minced fresh garlic

4 fresh basil leaves

6 ounces fresh young goat cheese

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Whisk the marinade ingredients together.  Place the eggplant and peppers in a mixing bowl with half the marinade.  Toss.  Place the onion and tomato slices on a baking sheet, being careful to keep onions in one piece.  Spoon on remaining marinade. Let stand for 20 minutes or longer.

Preheat barbecue (or grill pan) to medium-high.  Grill vegetables until tender. Tomatoes should be only briefly marked to get a grill flavor and barely cooked.  Set aside.

Pulse the filling ingredients in a food processor, fitted with the steel blade, until combined.  You may fill a pastry bag with a large star tip, or simply use a tablespoon to prepare the napoleons.

Assemble the napoleons:

Lay out four slices of eggplant on a clean work surface. To with a teaspoon of the goat cheese filling. Add a piece of red pepper and another teaspoon of filling.  Continue with red onion, yellow pepper and eggplant in the same way, so that the napoleon now has five layers with a little goat cheese filling in between each layer.  Top each with a tomato slice and a single basil leaf.

Serve as a side dish or starter course. May be kept refrigerated for a couple of days and heated in a low over or brought to room temperature before serving.

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