Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 2 cups Okinawa spinach, washed and dried thoroughly
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ears fresh corn
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 slices bread or 2 pieces focaccia, split
Instructions
To make pesto:
1. Toast walnuts in dry skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. In a food processor, pulse Okinawa spinach, toasted walnuts, Parmesan cheese and garlic until finely chopped.
3. While food processor is running, slowly stream in olive oil until the pesto is a smooth consistency. To finish, season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make grilled eggplant-corn salad:
4. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush sliced eggplant rounds with olive oil over rounds and season with salt and pepper.
5. Grill eggplant around 4-5 minutes per side until tender and slightly charred. Grill corn on the cob, husk fully removed, until charred light brown, about 5-7 minutes. Cool grilled vegetables about 10 minutes.
6. Chop eggplant into bite-size pieces. Remove corn kernels from cob.
7. Place vegetables in large bowl and combine with goat cheese, parsley, basil and pepper.
To assemble:
8. Layer Okinawa spinach pesto on bottom slice of bread or focaccia. Add a half of cup of grilled eggplant summer corn salad on pesto and top with another slice of bread or focaccia.