Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

I made this for the first time the first summer that Steve and I were dating and it has really held up as a summer staple. It is a great farmers' market meal too--almost all of the ingredients can be bought locally during the summer. Plus it is on the grill so you don't have to heat up the whole house to make it, which is nice when it is 90 outside. Also, it is vegetarian, but filling and delicious. Here is the recipe:

1 1/3 cups shredded four-cheese mix or pizza cheese
2 tablespoons Italian-style dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil 1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), cut lengthwise into1/2-inch-thick slices
8 ounces plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/4 cup garlic-flavored olive oil (I crush 1-2 cloves garlic in 1/4 cup olive oil and let it sit a while before using it)
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Stir cheese mix, breadcrumbs, and 1/3 cup basil in medium bowl to blend. I added some chopped green onions because I had them on hand.


Heat grill to medium heat. Sprinkle eggplant and tomatoes with salt and pepper. Brush 1 side of eggplant slices with some oil. Grill, oiled side down, until bottom side is tender and grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Brush second side of eggplant slices with more oil; turn over and top grilled side with tomatoes, then cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Drizzle with remaining oil. Cover and grill until tomatoes are tender and cheese melts, about 7 minutes. Transfer eggplant slices to plates. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

I forgot to put the last basil on ours but it was still good. (Forgetting the finishing touches will be a recurring theme here because I usually am too excited and starving by the time the food appears ready). We ate ours with a side of parmesan-garlic cous cous.