Roasted Kale and Eggplant Tapenade

Ingredients

• 4 cups torn kale
• 1 large eggplant
• 4-5 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (plus additional for drizzling)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus additional for drizzling)
• dried Italian herbs (basil, thyme oregano)
• sea salt
• 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup roasted pistachios

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel 4-5 cloves garlic and set aside.
2. Peel eggplant and cut into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise. Lay them in a pan, sprinkle both sides with sea salt and allow to sweat for about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, wash about 4 cups of kale, pat dry with a towel and remove tough stems. Toss kale with olive oil and place in an oven-safe pan. Roast for 5 minutes, check and turn with tongs. Continue roasting for an additional 5 minutes until browned and slightly crisp. Remove from oven and set aside.
4. After eggplant has rested, squeeze pieces between a paper towel to remove excess moisture. Cut into smaller pieces and combine with garlic cloves in a roasting pan (you can transfer the kale to a plate and reuse that pan for convenience). Drizzle eggplant and garlic with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and generous sprinkle with dried Italian spices of your choice (basil, thyme, oregano).
5. Roast eggplant and garlic mixture for about 30 minutes, checking and stirring after 15. Eggplant should be very tender and browned. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
6. In a food processor, pulse together roasted kale, eggplant and garlic with 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley and 1/4 cup roasted pistachios. Consistency should be smooth but not lacking texture.
7. Taste and tweak seasonings to your liking. Best served at room temperature atop a toasted crostini round.