Serve as a dip or as a spread you can slather on your toast. Grilled eggplant salsa is easy to make, tasty and even tastier after sitting for at least half an hour at room temperature.
Start heating the grill and brush the surface with olive oil.
Split the eggplants into halves vertically and brush the cut sides with olive oil.
Take a whole bulb of garlic (a whole bulb, not a clove) and split into halves horizontally. Brush the cut sides with oil as well.
Place the garlic halves on the hot grill, cut side down, and grill until nicely charred. Remove from the grill (reserve one half for another use).
Brush the grill once more with olive oil and lay the eggplant halves, cut side down, and grill until charred before flipping over to cook through. Remove from the grill and cool.
Meanwhile, cut the tomatoes into halves, scoop out and discard the seeds, then cut into small cubes.
Chop the parsley and measure. You'll need about a quarter cup plus a tablespoon to garnish.
Zest the lemon.
Press out the garlic to loosen from the skins. Roughly chop the skinless garlic.
Scrape the eggplant to remove the skin then roughly chop.
Place the eggplants, tomatoes, garlic and parsley in a bowl, sprinkle in the lemon zest, a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Drizzle in about two tablespoons olive oil and squeeze the lemon juice directly over everything.
Toss everything together, taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. If the mixture appears too dry, add more olive oil.
Let the salsa rest for at least half an hour. Taste once more, adjust the seasonings, if needed and drizzle in more olive oil to moisten and loosen.