Roasted Cherry Tomato and Aubergine Bruschetta with Rocket

 

Its hard to beat freshly picking your own salad leaves, and rocket is at the top of the list for flavour and bite.  Last spring my good friend and ‘Bridesmaid to be’ sent me a packet of wild rocket seeds, and being a lover of variation, I sowed them beside my already thriving lettuce’s. Well, 12 months later and the rocket is still thriving, having survived the mild winter, it is looking and tasting better than ever.

Add rocket to these warm and juicy bruschettas,  and you have a match made in heaven, with the sweet tomatoes,  and lovely fresh pepper punch from the rocket. I like my bruschetta oily and warm with lots of garlic, so if you are like me, dont hold back on the organic extra virgin olive oil.

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Serves 4 as a starter or 2 for lunch

 

250g grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

6 tbsp organic extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp oregano

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large aubergine, sliced into 1cm thick rounds

2 handfuls rocket leaves

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

25g parmigiano cheese, shaved into flakes

1-2 small ciabatta bread

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Pre-heat the oven to 150 ˚C/fan 140˚C.

Place the halved tomatoes in a roasting dish, drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper, and roast for 30 min.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining oil and crushed garlic and coat the sliced aubergines. Set aside.

Once the tomatoes are almost cooked, heat a large pan over a medium heat, and grill the aubergines for 5-10 min until soft and cooked through.

Slice the ciabatta and brush with a little olive oil and grill for a minute or two on each side until slightly golden.

 

Now assemble the bruschetta by layering up the aubergine, tomatoes, rocket and parmigiano flakes. Serve warm.