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Grilled Mediterranean Salad

When my husband suggested I come with him on a business trip to Algeria, I agreed with mixed emotion. It sounded like an exotic vacation, but was it safe? Over and over again, I read the warnings posted online…

(cont.)…The U.S. State Department advised against journeying into southern Algeria or the mountainous regions to the east, where there is a high threat of kidnappings and terrorist bombings. We’d be staying in the north, in the city of Algiers, in a hotel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. And we’d be accompanied by friends, local to the country.

So, I pushed concerns about safety aside and turned to a more important priority: Food. My hope was that there would be a good salad I could post on Salad Every Day. Was that asking too much of a country where the Sahara desert represents the vast majority of land?

The answer to that question became evident my first day in Algiers, at the hotel cafe overlooking the beach and pool.IMG_6918 There, in my pathetic French, I ordered a grilled vegetable salad for lunch.  The waiter, who spoke fluent French; Arabic; the ancient language, Berber; and good English, assured me it was a good choice.  The salad was beautiful, though it reminded me of something more typical of California, rather than North Africa.  All of the vegetables, I learned, were locally produced.  IMG_6859IMG_6851So was the olive oil, which was excellent. The only things on the plate that were imported were the Parmesan cheese and the pesto sauce in the dressing, both from Italy.

During the next few days I noticed that wherever we ate, meals were garnished with generous portions of fresh vegetables, including carrots, corn, and lovely, tender lettuces. Where is it all from?  I wondered.  At this point, my French vocabulary and grammar were beginning to evolve, so I asked around.

What I learned from the locals was that lower oil prices have hurt Algeria’s oil revenues, and that the government is encouraging increased farm production as a means of improving its balance of trade. In short, farmers in Algeria, like farmers in California, are figuring out how to transform acres of parched soil into acres of food. Like everything, it seems, my grilled vegetable salad was not only the result of the talent in the kitchen, but was directly tied to the capricious nature of world oil prices.

Grilled Mediterranean Vegetables With Pesto Dressing

Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Le Petit Bleu, Algiers

25 min

| Serves 4 |

170 calories per serving

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 medium eggplantIMG_6044
  • 1 medium – large carrot
  • 1 large green or red bell pepper
  • 1 green summer zucchini
  • 2 tomatoes – on-the-vine, roma or other sweet variety
  •  Handful of sun dried tomatoes, diced
  • 2 ounces aged Parmesan cheese, sliced thin
  • Several sprigs of fresh basil

Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons prepared pesto sauce*
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • Additional olive oil, if desired
  • Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

*Good quality prepared pesto sauce is available at many grocery stores and at amazon.com.

Directions

Prepare the salad ingredients: Preheat an outdoor or stovetop grill on medium high heat. Slice the vegetables at a sharp angle, creating long, oval shapes a little more than 1/4 inch thick (see photo). Brush the vegetables lightly with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Transfer IMG_6854the carrots to the grill, then the eggplant, and cook about 4 – 6 minutes on each side, allowing dark grill marks to form.  The carrots should be slightly tender; the eggplant should be very tender before removing from the heat. Next, arrange the bell pepper, onions, then the zucchini on the grill. Cook about 4 – 5 minutes each side, or until there are dark grill marks and the vegetables are tender.  Remove from the heat.  Slice the tomatoes into roughly 1/2 inch wedges and set aside with the other ingredients.

Prepare the dressing:  Whisk together the prepared pesto and the balsamic vinegar.  Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Taste test the dressing; add additional vinegar or olive oil if desired as well as additional seasonings.

IMG_6887Arrange the salad:  Arrange the grilled vegetables in a decorative pattern on a large serving dish, or, divide amongst individual plates.  Garnish with the tomatoes, cheese, sun dried tomatoes and basil sprigs.  Drizzle with the pesto dressing.  Serve, and enjoy!

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