Grilled Eggplant and Roasted Red Pepper on Ciabatta with Rose de Provence

Eggplant sandwich with garlic mayo and
roasted peppers on ciabatta.

"Meatless Monday," has been somewhat of a catch phrase lately.  I decided, why not jump on the bandwagon?  Who says that you need to have meat at every meal?  Well, probably Tyler.  

What, it's meat. Eating veggies? Those are what food calls "food," right?

I picked up an eggplant at the farmer's market this past weekend.  Tyler had never had eggplant before.  So, I knew if I wanted him to like it, and at least consider trying it again, I would have to surround it in other things that I know he enjoys.  After scouring the internet for ideas, I came upon Bobby Flay's take on this delicious masterpiece.  

Let's start with the condiment.  Garlic mayo......... mmmmm.  What's not to like?  You can do this a couple of ways.  Simply mix 4 cloves worth of preminced garlic with roughly 8 tbsp. of mayonnaise, or, roast 4 whole cloves, smash, and mix.  I have had it both ways, and both are equally yummy.  Whichever way you choose, you will want to mix the mayo at least 30 minutes before serving.

Next, the bread. Ciabatta is the only way to go.  It is the only bread that will stand up to the mound of deliciousness that will soon be between it's two crusty halves.  It is crusty and dense, and really makes this sandwich something special.  

Veggies, cooking on the grill.

Then, the eggplant.  A simple, deep purple eggplant will do.  Slice it cross wise, baste with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and grill.  Grill the eggplant until it softens. At the same time, baste a whole red bell pepper with olive oil, and place on the grill.  Cook until skin blisters.  Then cut open, remove the seeds, and slice.

Once your veggies are grilled to your liking, it is assembly time.  Spread the mayo on one or both sides of your ciabatta.  Then place some arugula on the bottom.  You can also use spinach, but the arugula has a pepper bite that really lends itself nicely to the rest of the flavors.  Stack your eggplant and red pepper.  Top with some fresh mozzarella.  Sit back a moment, admire the deliciousness that is about to flood your tastebuds.  Sink your teeth in, and enjoy!  

So, this is actually a pretty hard pairing. You've got a lot of flavor coming at you -- the garlic is pretty powerful and savory, the eggplant has a lot of weight to it, and the ciabatta itself is pretty rich. Light white wine wouldn't do it -- no sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio here! But, at the same time, not a lot of protein to pair off with a rich red.

So, when all else fails, punt. Go for a rose or a sparkling (or a sparkling rose!). Since I had it around the house, the choice tonight is Domaine Fontanyl's Rose de Provence ($12). Light to medium-bodied, with a dry strawberry note on the front, and enough acidity on the back to cleanse the palate, it's a great example of a wine that pairs off with a lot of foods -- ranging from light salad to a roast beef sandwich au jus.